Willem Albert Wagenaar

W.A. Wagenaar (photo: Collection Universiteit Leiden)

Willem Albert Wagenaar (30 June 1941 in Utrecht – 27 April 2011) was a Dutch psychologist noted for his work on the reliability of memory. He gained fame as an expert witness in some high-profile legal cases.[1][2][3][4]

Academic History

Wagenaar studied experimental psychology at Utrecht University; he graduated cum laude from the doctoral program there in 1965. In 1972 Wagenaar went to Leiden University to pursue a doctorate in Social Sciences. His thesis at Leiden, called "Sequential Response Bias", was sponsored by Professor John P. van de Geer. From 1973 to 1974 Wagenaar received a Fulbright grant to act as a visiting professor at Pennsylvania State University.[5]

Wagenaar was then head of the psychology department from 1974 to 1985 at the Institute for Perception TNO at Soesterberg, The Netherlands. Wagenaar was also an experimental psychology professor at Leiden University from 1982 to 1985. Wagenaar received a tenured position at Leiden University in 1985, a position he held until retirement. While at Leiden University, Wagenaar would also serve as faculty dean and Rector Magnificus from 1997 until 2001. Starting in 2004 Wagenaar worked as a psychology of law professor at Utrecht University - he gave a course on "Psychology in the Courtroom" at University College Utrecht. He retired in 2009.

On 17 January 2013, the Prof. Dr. W.A. Wagenaar foundation was founded, initiated by Professor Corine de Ruiter. The foundation is part of the Limburg University Fund and is intended to support the Masters in Forensic Psychology at Maastricht University.

An expert witness

Wagenaar was called as an expert witness at a series of high-profile cases. These included the trial of John Demjanjuk who was accused of being the Nazi war criminal known as Ivan the Terrible. Wagenaar was also an expert in the a much publicised Dutch incest case (The Yolanda B case). In these cases his testimony focused on the reliability or otherwise of eye witness memory.[1][2][3][4]

Magic Lanterns

Wagenaar was an enthusiast for and passionate collector of magic lanterns. He was so fond of the lanterns that he built a home theater for them and wrote an academic article on their origins.[4][6][7]

Select Article List

Wagenaar is either a primary or co-author in over 150 articles, the following are a select group of the very extensive list.

  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1993). A model-based analysis of automation problems. In B. Wilpert, T. Qvale, B. Wilpert, T. Qvale (Eds.), Reliability and safety in hazardous work systems: Approaches to analysis and design (pp. 71–85). Hillsdale, NJ England: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Groeneweg, J. (1987). "Accidents at sea: Multiple causes and impossible consequences". International Journal of Man-Machine Studies 27 (5–6): 587–598. doi:10.1016/S0020-7373(87)80017-2.
  • Wagenaar, W. A., van Koppen, P. J., & Crombag, H. M. (1993). Anchored narratives: The psychology of criminal evidence. Hertfordshire, HP2 7EZ New York, NY EnglandUS: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1995). Anchored narratives: A theory of judicial reasoning, and its consequences. In G. Davies, S. Lloyd-Bostock, M. McMurran, C. Wilson, G. Davies, S. Lloyd-Bostock, ... C. Wilson (Eds.), Psychology, law, and criminal justice: International developments in research and practice (pp. 267–285). Oxford England: Walter De Gruyter.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1996). Autobiographical memory in court. In D. C. Rubin, D. C. Rubin (Eds.), Remembering our past: Studies in autobiographical memory (pp. 180–196). New York, NY US: Cambridge University Press.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Massaro, D. W. (1992). "Book reviews". American Journal of Psychology 105 (4): 631.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1988). "Calibration and the effects of knowledge and reconstruction in retrieval from memory". Cognition 28 (3): 277–296. doi:10.1016/0010-0277(88)90016-9. PMID 3359754.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Keren, G. B. (1985). "Calibration of Probability Assessments by Professional Blackjack Dealers, Statistical Experts.". Organizational Behavior & Human Decision Processes 36 (3): 406. doi:10.1016/0749-5978(85)90008-1.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Keren, G. B. (1988). "Chance and luck are not the same". Journal of Behavioral Decision Making 1 (2): 65–75. doi:10.1002/bdm.3960010202.
  • Keren, G.; Wagenaar, W. A. (1988). "Chance and skill in gambling: A search for distinctive features". Social Behaviour 3 (3): 199–217.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Hudson, P. T.; Reason, J. T. (1990). "Cognitive failures and accidents". Applied Cognitive Psychology 4 (4): 273–294. doi:10.1002/acp.2350040405.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1994). Commonsense problem solving in conditions of underspecification. In J. Siegfried, J. Siegfried (Eds.), The status of common sense in psychology (pp. 322–345). Westport, CT US: Ablex Publishing.
  • Wagenaar, W. A., & Veefkind, N. (1992). Comparison of one-person and many-person lineups: A warning against unsafe practices. In F. Lösel, D. Bender, T. Bliesener, F. Lösel, D. Bender, T. Bliesener (Eds.), Psychology and law: International perspectives (pp. 275–285). Oxford England: Walter De Gruyter.
  • Crombag, H. M.; Wagenaar, W. A.; van Koppen, P. J. (1996). "Crashing Memories and the Problem of 'Source Monitoring'". Applied Cognitive Psychology 10 (2): 95–104. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-0720(199604)10:2<95::AID-ACP366>3.0.CO;2-#.
  • Haakma Wagenaar, W. (1996). De kas van het koororgel in de Sint Laurenskerk te Alkmaar. In, The case of the choir organ in the St. Laurenskerk at Alkmaar.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1989). "De psycholoog kan een waardevolle getuigedeskundige zijn". Psycholoog 24 (10): 493–498.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Schreuder, R. R.; Van, A. H. C. VAN DER; der Heijden, A. H. (1985). "Do TV pictures help people to remember the weather forecast?". Ergonomics 28 (5): 765–772. doi:10.1080/00140138508963196. PMID 4018019.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1991). "Een psycholoog is geen leugendetector". Psycholoog 26 (6): 257–264.
  • Marmor, M. F.; Wagenaar, W. A. (2003). "Escher and the Ophthalmologist". Survey of Ophthalmology 48 (3): 356. doi:10.1016/S0039-6257(03)00027-4.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; der Schrier, J. H. (1996). "Face recognition as a function of distance and illumination: A practical tool for use in the courtroom". Psychology, Crime & Law 2 (4): 321–332. doi:10.1080/10683169608409787.
  • Jong, M.; Wagenaar, W. A.; Wolters, G.; Verstijnen, I. M. (2005). "Familiar face recognition as a function of distance and illumination: a practical tool for use in the courtroom". Psychology, Crime & Law 11 (1): 87–97. doi:10.1080/10683160410001715123.
  • De Jong, M.; Wagenaar, W. A.; Wolters, G.; Verstijnen, I. M. (2005). "Familiar face recognition as a function of distance and illumination: A practical tool for use in the courtroom". Psychology, Crime & Law 11 (1): 87–97. doi:10.1080/10683160410001715123.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1988, March). Forecasting disasters. International Journal of Forecasting. pp. 3–4.
  • Crombag, H. M., Wagenaar, W. A., & van Koppen, P. R. (2011). From the archive: 'Crashing memories and the problem of source monitoring by H. F. M. Crombag, W. A. Wagenaar, & P. J. van Koppen (1996). Applied Cognitive Psychology, 10, 95-104 with commentary. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25S91-S101. doi:10.1002/acp.1779
  • Wagenaar, W. (2000). Het uiterlijk van het Alkmaarse koororgel. In, The exterior of the Alkmaar choir organ
  • Wagenaar, W. (1988). Identifying Ivan: A case study in legal psychology. Cambridge, MA US: Harvard University Press.
  • Wagenaar, W. A., & Hudson, P. W. (1998). Industrial safety. In P. D. Drenth, H. Thierry, C. J. de Wolff, P. D. Drenth, H. Thierry, C. J. de Wolff (Eds.), Handbook of work and organizational, Vol. 2: Work psychology (2nd ed.) (pp. 65–87). Hove England: Psychology Press/Erlbaum (UK) Taylor & Francis.
  • Timmers, H.; Wagenaar, W. A. (1977). "Inverse statistics and misperception of exponential growth". Perception & Psychophysics 21 (6): 558–562. doi:10.3758/BF03198737.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1994). Is memory self-serving?. In U. Neisser, R. Fivush, U. Neisser, R. Fivush (Eds.), The remembering self: Construction and accuracy in the self-narrative (pp. 191–204). New York, NY US: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511752858.012
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Keren, G.; Lichtenstein, S. (1988). "Islanders and hostages: Deep and surface structures of decision problems". Acta Psychologica 67 (2): 175–189. doi:10.1016/0001-6918(88)90012-1.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (2009). "LOTHAR MEGGENDORFER AND THE MAGIC LANTERN". New Magic Lantern Journal 10 (5): 90–91.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Boer, J. P. (1987). "Misleading postevent information: Testing parameterized models of integration in memory". Acta Psychologica 66 (3): 291–306. doi:10.1016/0001-6918(87)90040-0.
  • Keren, G. B.; Wagenaar, W. A. (1985). "On the psychology of playing blackjack: Normative and descriptive considerations with implications for decision theory". Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 114 (2): 133–158. doi:10.1037/0096-3445.114.2.133.
  • Wagenaar, W. (1988). Paradoxes of gambling behaviour. Hillsdale, NJ England: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1988). People and places in my memory: A study on cue specificity and retrieval from autobiographical memory. In M. M. Gruneberg, P. E. Morris, R. N. Sykes, M. M. Gruneberg, P. E. Morris, R. N. Sykes (Eds.), Practical aspects of memory: Current research and issues, Vol. 1: Memory in everyday life (pp. 228–233). Oxford England: John Wiley & Sons.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1996). "Profiling crisis management". Journal of Contingencies & Crisis Management 4 (3): 169–174. doi:10.1111/j.1468-5973.1996.tb00089.x.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1991). "Randomness and randomizers: Maybe the problem is not so big". Journal of Behavioral Decision Making 4 (3): 220–222. doi:10.1002/bdm.3960040309.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Schreuder, R.; Jan Wijlhuizen, G. (1987). "Readability of Instructional Text, Written for the General Public". Applied Cognitive Psychology 1 (3): 155–167. doi:10.1002/acp.2350010302.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1990). Risk evaluation and the causes of accidents. In K. Borcherding, O. I. Larichev, D. M. Messick, K. Borcherding, O. I. Larichev, D. M. Messick (Eds.), Contemporary issues in decision making (pp. 245–260). Oxford England: North-Holland.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1992). Risk taking and accident causation. In J. Yates, J. Yates (Eds.), Risk-taking behavior (pp. 257–281). Oxford England: John Wiley & Sons.
  • Wagenaar, W. A., Souverijn, A. M., & Hudson, P. W. (1993). Safety management in intensive care wards. In B. Wilpert, T. Qvale, B. Wilpert, T. Qvale (Eds.), Reliability and safety in hazardous work systems: Approaches to analysis and design (pp. 157–169). Hillsdale, NJ England: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1975). "Stevens vs Fechner: A plea for dismissal of the case". Acta Psychologica 39 (3): 225–235. doi:10.1016/0001-6918(75)90037-2.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1975). "Supertankers: Simulators for the study of steering". American Psychologist 30 (3): 440–444. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.30.3.440.
  • Keren, G.; Wagenaar, W. A. (1987). "Temporal aspects of probabilistic predictions". Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society 25 (1): 61–64. doi:10.3758/bf03330079.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1996). The Ethics of Not Spending Money on Safety. In D. M. Messick, A. E. Tenbrunsel (Eds.), Codes of conduct: Behavioral research into business ethics (pp. 318–327). New York:.
  • Loftus, E. F.; Schooler, J. W.; Wagenaar, W. A. (1985). "The fate of memory: Comment on McCloskey and Zaragoza". Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 114 (3): 375–380. doi:10.1037/0096-3445.114.3.375.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1997). The logical status of case histories. In J. Read, D. Lindsay, J. Read, D. Lindsay (Eds.), Recollections of trauma: Scientific evidence and clinical practice (pp. 109–143). New York, NY US: Plenum Press.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Groeneweg, J. (1990). "The Memory of Concentration Camp Survivors". Applied Cognitive Psychology 4 (2): 77–87. doi:10.1002/acp.2350040202.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Keren, G.; Pleit-Kuiper, A. (1984). "The multiple objectives of gamblers". Acta Psychologica 56 (1–3): 167–178. doi:10.1016/0001-6918(84)90016-7.
  • Bar-Hillel, M., & Wagenaar, W. A. (1993). The perception of randomness. In G. Keren, C. Lewis, G. Keren, C. Lewis (Eds.), A handbook for data analysis in the behavioral sciences: Methodological issues (pp. 369–393). Hillsdale, NJ England: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Timmers, H. (1979). "The pond-and-duckweed problem: Three experiments on the misperception of exponential growth". Acta Psychologica 43 (3): 239–251. doi:10.1016/0001-6918(79)90028-3.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1988). "The proper seat: A Bayesian discussion of the position of expert witnesses". Law and Human Behavior 12 (4): 499–510. doi:10.1007/BF01044630.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Keren, G. B. (1986). "The seat belt paradox: Effect of adopted roles on information seeking". Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 38 (1): 1–6. doi:10.1016/0749-5978(86)90022-1.
  • Wagenaar, W. A. (1994). The subjective probability of guilt. In G. Wright, P. Ayton, G. Wright, P. Ayton (Eds.), Subjective probability (pp. 529–547). Oxford England: John Wiley & Sons.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Visser, J. G. (1979). "The weather forecast under the weather". Ergonomics 22 (8): 909–917. doi:10.1080/00140137908924665.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Frankenhuizen, J. J.; Vos, J. J.; Flores D'Arcais, G. B. (1984). "There is no induced motion at near-threshold velocities". Acta Psychologica 55 (3): 295–313. doi:10.1016/0001-6918(84)90047-7. PMID 6464802.
  • Wagenaar, W. A.; Reason, J. T. (1990). "Types and tokens in road accident causation". Ergonomics 33 (10–11): 1365–1375. doi:10.1080/00140139008925338.
  • Keren, G.; Wagenaar, W. A. (1987). "Violation of utility theory in unique and repeated gambles". Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 13 (3): 387–391. doi:10.1037/0278-7393.13.3.387.
  • Lichtenstein, S., Gregory, R., Slovic, P., & Wagenaar, W. A. (1990). When lives are in your hands: Dilemmas of the societal decision maker. In R. M. Hogarth, R. M. Hogarth (Eds.), Insights in decision making: A tribute to Hillel J. Einhorn (pp. 91–106). Chicago, IL US: University of Chicago Press.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 European Association for Decision Making: Former EADM president Willem Wagenaar deceased (Charles Vlek – University of Groningen) (Accessed Nov 2011)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 University of Leiden:Former rector Prof. W.A. Wagenaar deceased (in Dutch) (Accessed Nov 2011)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Utrecht University:Willem Albert Wagenaar passed away (Accessed Nov 2011)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 DUB: U-blad online Willem Albert Wagenaar deceased by Ries Agterberg (Accessed Nov 2011)
  5. ↑ Cunningmasters: Wagenaar's CV(Accessed Nov 2011)
  6. ↑ Wagenaar, W. A. (1979) 'The true inventor of the magic lantern: Kircher, Walgenstein, or Huygens?', Janus, 66, 193-207;
  7. ↑ He can be seen putting on a show here: Laterna Magica 2 on YouTube

External links