Our people

Dr Joanne Bennett

Senior Lecturer
School of Behavioural and Health Sciences

Areas of expertise: road safety; cognitive function; statistics

Phone: (02) 97014398

Email: Joanne.bennett@acu.edu.au

Location: ACU Strathfield Campus

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6182-6063

Dr Bennett graduated in 2018 from Macquarie University. Her PhD investigated the use of cognitive assessments to determine fitness to drive for individuals with dementia. Her PhD involved conducting cognitive assessments with older adults and adults with dementia and performing driving assessments to determine their driving capacity. Dr Bennett has a keen interest in research which investigates the relationship between cognitive function and road safety across the lifespan, and for all road users (including drivers and vulnerable road users such as pedestrians). She has also conducted research into the emerging field of automated vehicles.

Dr Bennett is currently a senior lecturer in Psychology at the Australian Catholic University in Strathfield. In her role she specialises in teaching research design and statistics to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Dr Bennett has 10 years of experience in teaching statistics and runs specialised workshops on advanced statistical techniques such as structural equation modelling and meta-analysis.

Dr Bennett is a supervisor of a number of honours, clinical psychology masters and PhD students. She has considerable expertise in supervising projects involving the impact of cognitive function and cognitive impairment on functional outcomes such as driving, as well as and the statistical methods required to analyse these projects.

A key focus of Dr Bennett's work is the translation of research findings into practice. Dr Bennett has been involved in the successful completion of a number of road safety industry and policy projects in collaboration with partners at the University of New South Wales, Macquarie University, RMIT, and Austroads.

Download curriculum vitae

View academia profile

Select publications

• Bennett, J.M., Chekaluk, E., & Batchelor, J. (2016). Cognitive tests and determining fitness to drive in dementia: A systematic review. Journal of the American Geriatric Society, 64, 1904-1917. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.14180
• Zicat, E., Bennett, J. M., Chekaluk, E., & Batchelor, J. (2018). Cognitive function and young drivers: The relationship between driving, attitudes, personality and cognition. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 55, 341-352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2018.03.013
• Ledger, S., Bennett, J.M., Chekaluk, E., & Batchelor, J. (2019). Cognitive Function and Driving: Important for Young and Old Alike. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 60, 262-273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2018.10.024
• Bennett, J.M., Chekaluk, E., & Batchelor, J. (2019). Determining Fitness to Drive for Drivers with Dementia: A Medical Practitioner's Perspective. Journal of the Australasian College of Road Safety, 30, 9-17. https://doi.org/10.33492/JACRS-D-18-00276
• Moran, C., Bennett, J.M., & Prabhakharan, P. (2019). Road User Hazard Perception Tests: A Systematic Review of Current Methodologies. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 129, 309-333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2019.05.021
• Cunningham, M. L., Regan, M. A., Ledger, S. A., & Bennett, J.M.(2019). To buy or not to buy? Predicting willingness to pay for automated vehicles based on public opinion. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 65, 418-438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2019.08.012
• Ledger, S., Bennett, J.M., Chekaluk, E & Batchelor, J. & Di Meco, A. (2019). Driving and Cognitive Function: Does Age Matter? Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 66, 471-484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2019.10.002
• Moran, C., Bennett, J.M., & Prabhakharan, P. (2020). Cognitive correlates of hazard perception in young drivers. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 74, 104-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2020.08.008
• Bennett, J.M., Challinor, K., Modesto, O., & Prabhakharan, P. (2020). Attribution of blame of crash causation across varying levels of vehicle automation. Safety Science, 132, 104968. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2020.104968
• Di Meco, A., Bennett, J.M., Batchelor, J., Chekaluk, E., Andrews, E., & Habib, J. (2021). The role of cognition for identifying unsafe young drivers. Safety Science, 138, 105099 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2020.105099
• Chee, P., Irwin, J., Bennett. J.M., & Carrigan, A.J. (2021). The mere presence of a mobile phone: Does it influence driving performance? Accident Analysis and Prevention, 159, 106266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2021.106226
• Wotton, M. E., Bennett, J. M., Modesto, O., Challinor, K. L., & Prabhakharan, P. (2022). Attention all 'drivers': You could be to blame, no matter your behaviour or the level of vehicle automation. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 87, 219-235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2022.03.021
• Nicholson, M., Bennett, J.M., Modesto, O., & Gould, R. (2023). Understanding university students during COVID-19: A longitudinal mixed-methods analysis of their experiences of online learning, mental health, academic engagement and academic self-efficacy. Psychopathology, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1159/000528441
• Oliver, E., Coates, A., Bennett, J. M., & Willis, M. L. (2023). Narcissism and Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 25(3), 1871 -1884. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380231196115
• Moshel, M.L., Warburton, W.A., Batchelor, J., Bennett, J.M., & Ko, K.Y. (2023). Neuropsychological Deficits in Disordered Screen Use Behaviours: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Neuropsychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-023-09612-4
• Valos, N., & Bennett, J. M. (2023). The relationship between cognitive functioning and street-crossing behaviours in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 99, 356-373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2023.10.018
• Folli, M., & Bennett, J. M. (2023). Factors that predict hazard perception in older adult road-users: A systematic review. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 99, 19-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2023.10.008
• Norton, D. W., Modesto, O., Bennett, J. M., & Fraser, M. I. (2024). Sleep disturbance mediates the link between both self‐compassion and self‐criticism and psychological distress during prolonged periods of stress. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12474
• Prabhakharan, P., Bennett, J. M., Hurden, A., & Crundall, D. (2024). The efficacy of hazard perception training and education: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 202, 107554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2024.107554
• Blanks, L. N., Carrick, Z. T., McGuckian, T. B., & Bennett, J. M. (2024). The efficacy of training to improve road safety in elderly pedestrians: A systematic review. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 207, 107735. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2024.107735

Industry Reports

• Education and Training for Drivers of Assisted and Automated Vehicles (2020) , Austroads AP-R616-20 https://austroads.com.au/publications/connected-and-automated-vehicles/ap-r616-20
• Use of Perceptual Countermeasure Treatments to Reduce Crash Risk in Tunnels (2022), Austroads AP-R668-22 https://austroads.com.au/publications/tunnels/ap-r668-22

Projects

• Deadly Safe Driving: The First of Its Kind - A Virtual Reality Rural Driving Hazard Perception Training Program for Young First Nations Driver - $897,791.32 National Road Safety Action Grants Program (2024)
• Thriving without driving: A practical resource toolkit to support retirement from driving in the ACT - $49,658 ACT Road Safety Fund (2024)
• The road to safer walking: Improving Hazard Perception in Older Adult Pedestrians - $820,000 Australian Automobile Association 2023

• Driving into the future: Hazard perception tasks in a virtual reality driving simulation - $7,500 ACU Faculty of Health Science Project Funding (2020)
• Does a flexible mentoring arrangement between first - and third year psychology students promote psychological wellbeing, academic self-efficacy and student retention? - $8,000 ACU Learning and Teaching Grant (2020)

Accolades and Awards

• Lecturer of the Year, Australian Psychological Society (2023)
• ACU Faculty of Health Sciences Employees Values Award (2023)

Appointments and Affiliations

• Lecturer, ACU 2017 -
• Honorary Associate, Macquarie University 2017 -
• Member, Australasian College of Road Safety 2018 -

International journal review panels

Journal Associate Editor

• Scientific Reports

Journal Reviewer

• Accident Analysis and Prevention
• Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders
• Artificial Intelligence Review
• BMC Geriatrics
• Journal of the Australasian College of Road Safety
• Journal of Safety Research
• Traffic Injury Prevention
• Transportation Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour

Conference Reviewer

• Australasian Road Safety Conference

Organisational Committees

• Australasian College of Road Safety Future Leaders Committee (2024 - current)
• Australasian College of Road Safety Early Career Network Committee (2024 - current)
• Discipline of Psychology Representative, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences Research Committee (2020 – current)

Public engagement activities

• Conversation article: Does Screen use really impact our thinking skills? Our analysis suggests it could. https://theconversation.com/does-screen-use-really-impact-our-thinking-skills-our-analysis-suggests-it-could-216828
• ACU Psychology Week Public Lecture 2019: Your brain behind the wheel - Driving as you age