Dr Mark Symmons
Senior Lecturer
| Phone: | +61 3 990 26747 or +61 3 512 26747 | |
| Fax: | +61 3 990 26359 or +61 3 512 26359 | |
| Office: | 1E 117, Gippsland Campus | |
| 902-161, Berwick Campus | ||
| Email: | mark.symmons@monash.edu |
Biography
Mark completed an undergraduate degree in physics before going on to honours, masters and PhD in psychology. He has worked for and still collaborates with the Accident Research Centre (MUARC) on a variety of road safety projects, but is currently teaching into the Psychological Studies program and conducting research in several fields. Further detail is provided below and at http://users.monash.edu.au/~msymmons/
Research interests
- Road safety, particularly motorcycle safety, heavy vehicles, ecodriving, fleets, and general rider and driver behaviour
- Touch (haptics) and virtual reality, including psychophysics, presence, telerobotics, remote control, and the use of virtual reality for training and rehabilitation
- Teaching, with a focus on new technologies such as wikis
Current research project
Several current projects involving motorcycle safety, ecodriving in corporate fleets, the use of a touch-based interface to remotely control mining machinery, and a number of psychophysics touch projects.
Recent publications
Peer reviewed
- Van Doorn, G.H., Richardson, B.L., Wuillemin, D.B., & Symmons, M.A. (2010). Visual and haptic influence on perception of stimulus size. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 72, 813-822
- Van Doorn, G.H., Richardson, B.L., Symmons, M.A., & Wells, J. (2009). Adding thermal information to multisensory input in simulated environments. International Journal of Intelligent Defence Support Systems, 2, 350-362
- Symmons, M.A. (2009). Daytime running lights: A closer look at their justification for Australia. Proceedings 32nd Australasian Transport Research Forum. Auckland
- Symmons, M.A. (2009). Road safety and the environment. In J Langford & B Fildes (Eds), Australasian Road Safety Research Handbook: Vol IV. Sydney: Austroads
- Symmons, M.A., & Rose, G. (2009). Ecodrive training delivers substantial fuel savings for heavy vehicle drivers. Proceedings 5th International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training, and Vehicle Design, Big Sky, Montana
- Symmons, M.A., & Richardson, B.L. (2009). The equivalence of vision and haptics when matched spatiotemporally. Proceeedings World Haptics conference. Salt Lake City, Utah
- Stephan, K., Symmons, M., Hillard, P., Bohensky, M., Muir, C., & Lenne, M. (2009). Characteristics of fatal motorcycle crashes involving excessive and/or inappropriate speed. Presented at 9th National Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion. Melbourne, July 2009
- Van Doorn, G.H., Symmons, M.A., & Richardson, B.L. (2009). The importance of temperature information in virtual training environments. Proceedings Simulation, Concepts, Capability and Technology Conference, Adelaide
- Rose, G., & Symmons, M.A. (2009). Training heavy vehicle drivers to reduce fuel consumption: Results from a pilot EcoDrive project. Proceedings Transportation Research Board (TRB) 88th Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C
- Symmons, M.A., Rose, G., & Van Doorn, G.H. (2008). The effectiveness of an ecodrive course for heavy vehicle drivers. Proceedings 2008 Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference. Adelaide, South Australia 9-12 November 2008
- Rose, G., & Symmons, M.A. (2008). Testing EcoDriver training under Australian conditions. Proceedings, Australasian Transport Research Forum, Gold Coast, Queensland 30/9-3/10 2008.
Symmons, M.A., Richardson, B.L., & Wuillemin, D.B. (2008). Components of haptic information: Skin rivals kinesthesis. Perception, 37, 1596-1604 - Richardson, B.L., Symmons, M.A., & Wuillemin, D.B. (2007). Movement and touch as haptic inputs: Implications for enaction, Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Enactive Interfaces, 19 November 2007 to 24 November 2007, Association ACROE, Grenoble France, pp. 229-232
- Symmons, M., Mulvihill, C. & Haworth, N. (2007). Motorcycle crash involvement as a function of self assessed riding style and rider attitudes. Proceedings Australasian Road Safety 2007 Research Policing and Education Conference, 17-19 October, Melbourne
- Symmons, M. (2007). Fatigue as a crash factor: A comparison of definitions across Australian mass crash databases and application of those definitions to Victoria's data. Proceedings Australasian Road Safety 2007 Research Policing and Education Conference, 17-19 October, Melbourne
- Bugeja, L., Symmons, M., Brodie, L., Thorne, B., & Ibrahim, J. (2007). Development of a specialist investigation standard for heavy vehicle fatal collisions. Proceedings Australasian Road Safety 2007 Research Policing and Education Conference, 17-19 October, Melbourne
- Regan, M., Triggs, T., Mitsopoulos-Rubens, E., Symmons, M. & Tomasevic, N. (2007) 'Driving simulator evaluation of a vehicle rear-mounted heavy braking light with and without distraction', Proceedings 4th International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training and Vehicle Design, 9-12 July, Washington, USA
- Symmons, M.A., Richardson, B.L., & Wuillemin, D.B. (2007). Intrasensory attention: Kinaesthetic versus cutaneous inputs. Perception, 36, 880-887
- Symmons, M.A., Richardson, B.L., & Wuillemin, D.B. (2007). Active vs passive touch: the state of play and the future. Published in conference proceedings of the 2007 WorldHaptics Conference, March, Tsukuba, Japan
Other publications
- Symmons, M.A., Rose, G., & Van Doorn, G. (2009). Ecodrive as a road safety tool for Australian conditions. Canberra: Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
- Symmons, M.A. (2009). The equivalence of vision and haptics. Presented at Australian Experimental Psychology Conference, Wollongong, April
- Symmons, M.A. (2009). The use of a wiki-based assignment as an assessment tool. Presented at Australian Experimental Psychology Conference, Wollongong, April
- Candappa, N., Symmons, M., & Becker, L. (2008). Descriptive analysis of Victorian motorcycle count data. Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report prepared for VicRoads.
Stephan, K., Symmons, M., Hillard, P., Bohensky, M., Muir, C., & Lenne, M. (2008) - Characteristics of fatal motorcycle crashes involving excessive and/or inappropriate speed. Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report prepared for VicRoads
- Symmons, M. (2008). Review of motorcycling countermeasures. Report prepared for VicRoads
- Symmons, M. (2008). The great ocean ride DVD survey. Report prepared for VicRoads
- Archer, J., Fotheringham, N., Symmons, M., & Corben, B. The impact of lowered speed limits in urban and metropolitan areas. Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report No. 276
- Symmons, M.A. (2007). Summary advice for Comcare on Burnley Tunnel crash regarding the heavy vehicle driven by <confidential>. Report prepared for Comcare
- Archer, J., Fotheringham, N., Symmons, M. & Corben, B. (2007). The impact of lowered speed limits in urban areas. Proceedings Australasian Road Safety 2007 Research Policing and Education Conference, 17-19 October, Melbourne
- Fotheringham, N., Mulvihill, C., Symmons, M., Candappa, N. & Corben, B. (2007). Development of future directions for Tasmanian road safety strategy 2007-2011. Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report prepared for Department of Infrastructure Energy and Resources
- Hosking, S., Mulvihill, C. & Symmons, M. (2007), Evaluation of associative learning methods to train drivers to give way to motorcyclists, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Report prepared for Vic Roads
Teaching
Psychological Studies at Gippsland and Berwick and by distance.
- ATS1359 Exploring human behaviour: An introduction to psychology
- ATS2819 Perspectives on personality psychology
- ATS2820 Abnormal psychology and behavioural disorders
- ATS3842 Sports psychology
Expert media commentary
Motorcycle safety, heavy vehicles, ecodriving, fleets, and general rider and driver behaviour.
Haptics and virtual reality.
Postgraduate supervision
Current students:
- PhD: Jacqui Howell investigating the horizontal-vertical illusion.
- MA: Ruth McFarlane exploring the memes of religious belief.
Grants
Total since 2007 exceeds $1.2M
2009
- Victorian Department of Transport competitive tender: Rose, Symmons & Van Doorn. Design and evaluation of a fleet-based ecodriving trial
- VicRoads competitive tender: Mulvihill, Symmons, Wallace & Collins. Development of an on-road assisted ride program for motorcycle riders
- VicRoads competitive tender: Mulvihill, Symmons, Wallace & Collins. Pilot training course for returning motorcycle riders
- Competitive tender for Victoria and South Australia Department of Transport. Rose & Symmons. Design, implementation and evaluation of ecodriving programs
2008
- VicRoads: Analysis of Great Ocean Road (GOR) DVD
2007
- Australian Transport Safety Bureau (cat 1): EcoDrive as a road safety tool for Australian conditions
- Sustainability Victoria (Vic Govt): Development and trial of an ecodrive training program for heavy vehicle operators
- RioTinto: Improving sensory feedback during remote control of mining machinery
- VicRoads: Review and identify issues and countermeasures relevant to motorcycle crashes in Victoria
- VicRoads: Prioritising motorcycle fatigue recommendations
- VicRoads: The potential of an associative learning method for training car drivers to give way to motorcyclists at intersections