Dr Jonathan Rolison

Dr Jonathan Rolison is a behavioural scientist with nearly 20 years of experience applying psychological insights to real-world challenges. He works with organisations to understand what drives — and what hinders — human behaviour, and how to create meaningful change through evidence-based strategies.

Until 2025, Dr Rolison was a Reader (Associate Professor) in Psychology at the University of Essex, where he remains as a research associate. His research focuses on how people perceive and respond to risk. His work examines awareness, attitudes, and evaluations of risk in everyday contexts, such as exceeding the speed limit when driving or navigating cybersecurity risks in online banking. This expertise allows him to uncover what shapes people’s risk perceptions and behaviours, and to identify practical ways to measure, interpret, and shift them.

Dr Rolison brings advanced skills in research and evaluation, including the design and delivery of experiments, interventions, and randomised controlled trials. He has extensive experience in survey design, developing robust and insightful measures of attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours that generate valid, actionable findings.

His expertise extends to both quantitative and qualitative research. He is highly skilled in statistical analysis, ranging from regression modelling and multilevel analysis to computational approaches such as neural networks and machine learning. He also has experience in qualitative methods, including interviews, focus groups, and thematic coding, enabling him to provide a rich, multi-dimensional understanding of human behaviour.

Across his career, Dr Rolison has combined rigorous research with practical application, helping organisations and policymakers use behavioural science to make better decisions, design effective interventions, and improve outcomes for individuals and society.