Biographical Information

John Charlton (PhD, Manchester University, 1997; C.Psychol; AFBPsS) did his doctoral thesis on the modelling of students' performance on computing courses. On obtaining his PhD he obtained his current post of Research Fellow in Psychology at Bolton. 

Academic Interests

Since obtaining my PhD my main interest has been in individual differences in computer-related attitudes and behaviours, published studies including those relating to anxiety, addictions and control issues. Latterly I have also started to study stress-related issues, including computer-related anger. Further details of my computing research can be found on the UBCCRU| (University of Bolton Computer & Cyberpsychology Research Unit) web site.

Other areas of interest have included collaborations with Professor Rob Ranyard on decision making and economic psychology projects, and several studies of an educational nature. 

Academic Responsibilities

Recent Publications

Charlton, J.P., & Danforth, I.D.W. (in press). Validating the distinction between computer addiction and engagement: Online game playing and personality. Behaviour & Information Technology.

Charlton, J.P. (2009). The determinants and expression of computer-related anger. Computers in Human Behavior, 25(6), 1213–1221.

Hewson, C., Charlton, J., & Brosnan, M. (2007). Comparing Online and Offline Administration of Multiple Choice Question Assessments to Psychology Undergraduates: Do assessment modality or computer attitudes influence performance? Psychology Learning and Teaching, 6(1), 37-46.

Charlton, J.P., & Danforth, I.D.W. (2007). Distinguishing addiction and high engagement in the context of online game playing. Computers in Human Behavior, 23(3), 1531-1548.

Charlton, J.P. (2006). How human is your computer? Measuring ethopoeic perceptions of computers. In K. Morgan, C.A. Brebbia, & J.M. Spector (Eds.), The Internet Society II: Advances in Education, Commerce & Governance (pp. 167-176). Southampton: WIT Press.

Charlton, J.P., Barrow, C., & Hornby-Atkinson, P. (2006). Attempting to predict withdrawal from Higher Education using demographic, psychological and educational measures. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 11(1), 31-47.

Ranyard, R., & Charlton, J.P. (2006). Cognitive processes underlying lottery and sports gambling decisions: The role of stated probabilities and background knowledge. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 18(2), 234-254.

Charlton, J.P. (2005). Measuring perceptual and motivational facets of computer control: The development and validation of the Computing Control Scale. Computers in Human Behavior, 21(5), 791-815.

Hewson, C., & Charlton, J.P. (2005). Measuring health beliefs on the Internet: A comparison of paper and Internet administrations of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale. Behavior Research Methods, 37(4), 691-702.

Charlton, J.P., & Danforth, I.D.W. (2004). Differentiating computer-related addictions and high engagement. In K. Morgan, C.A. Brebbia, J. Sanchez, & A. Voiskounsky (Eds.), Human Perspectives in the Internet Society: Culture, Psychology and Gender (pp. 59-68). Southampton: WIT Press.

Humphrey, N., Charlton, J.P., & Newton, I. (2004). The roots of disaffection? Educational Psychology, 24(5), 579-594.

Charlton, J.P. (2002). A factor analytic investigation of computer addiction and engagement. British Journal of Psychology, 93(3), 329-344.

Gamble, A., Gärling. T., Charlton, J., & Ranyard, R. (2002). Euro illusion: Psychological insights into price evaluations with a unitary currency. European Psychologist, 7(4), 302-311.

Ofori, R., & Charlton, J.P. (2002). A path model of factors influencing the academic performance of nursing students. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 38, 507-515.

Ranyard, R., Charlton, J.P., & Williamson, J. (2001). The role of internal reference prices in consumers' willingness to pay judgments: Thaler's beer pricing task revisited. Acta Psychologica, 106, 265-283.

Recent Grants

2004 – 2006: European Social Fund (ESF), Ethnic Differences in Post-HE Job-Seeking Behaviour, £135,000, with R. Ranyard ( University of Bolton).

2004: Learning & Teaching Support Network Psychology, Evaluation and Dissemination of a Tool for Administering Online MCQ Assessments to Psychology Undergraduates, £4,000, with C. Hewson, P. Ramsden (both University of Bolton) and M. Brosnan (University of Bath).

2005: British Educational Communications and Technology Agency. Engagement and Motivation in Games Development Processes, £5,000, with A. Williams, L. Blenkharn, P. Carlisle and R. Ranyard (all University of Bolton).