Professor Carolyn Semmler: Research on Human Decision-Making and Technology

Professor Carolyn Semmler from the University of Adelaide’s School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and AIML

"The launch of Adelaide University is an incredibly exciting time for South Australia and for our research community. We have so many synergies and strengths that exist within our foundation universities that will be greatly enhanced by the structure and design of the Signature Research Themes for Adelaide University. I am looking forward to training the next generation of researchers who will power the innovation that is already well underway in SA."

Professor Semmler is recognised for her research on human judgement, decision-making, and cognition in applied settings. Her work explores how people make complex decisions, particularly in legal, health, and defence contexts. 

Her research focuses on understanding the cognitive processes that shape decisions under uncertainty and emotion. She has led studies on eyewitness identification, juror reasoning, and medical decision-making, with the aim of improving accuracy and fairness in professional judgement. Her work also examines how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and automated identification systems, influence human reasoning and ethical decision-making.

In collaboration with national and international researchers, Professor Semmler contributes to projects that apply cognitive theory to real-world challenges. This includes developing models of eyewitness identification, exploring the responsible use of AI in health, and studying how emotions affect clinical and legal decisions.

Professor Semmler is a member of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, the Cognitive Science Society, and the Environment Institute. She also serves as Vice President of the Psychology Foundation of Australia and as a steering committee member of the EMCR Brain Science Network.

Her research continues to advance understanding of how cognitive psychology can inform decision-making across law, medicine, and defence.