Prof Charles Musselwhite
Professor & Head of Psychology at Aberystwyth Uni. Fellow of Academy of Social Sciences. Research interests in how we connect with communities around us as we age inc transport, tech & built env. Loves prog rock, football (Swansea & Gosport fan) & cricket.
- 🌍New paper: research trends in environmental psychology🌍 4,300+ articles (2004–24) analysed: growth in climate change & pro-environmental behaviour topics but less visibility for built env., ageing, migration & conflict. Where next for env psych? www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteThank you for joining us at the Senedd! We had an inspiring discussion alongside experts, including @charliemuss.bsky.social from @aberuni.bsky.social on: 💜 How to make Wales and the world healthier 💡 Living well and ageing well Find out more about our work here: dewischoice.org.uk
- Reposted by Prof Charles Musselwhite🏴 Diolch am ymuno â ni yn y Senedd! Cawsom drafodaeth ysbrydoledig ochr yn ochr ag arbenigwyr, gan gynnwys @charliemuss.bsky.social o Brifysgol Aberystwyth ynghylch: 💜 Sut mae gwneud Cymru a'r byd yn iachach 💡 Byw'n dda, heneiddio'n dda Cewch ddarllen mwy am ein gwaith yma: dewischoice.org.uk
- Presented today on healthy transport & ageing at the Senedd, Wales. Great talks & discussion too, inc. Rebecca Zerk @choiceolderppl.bsky.social, Angharad Jones from healthcare ed & Luis Mur on rapid prostate cancer tests. "Independence means being able to get out, connect & access what matters"
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteI wrote this a couple years ago, warning that car safety tech will never be a panacea. A big reason why: Drivers take more risks when they assume technology will protect them if something goes wrong. It's known as the Peltzman effect, and it's really bad news if you're walking or biking.
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteI'm at a #TRBAM session about car tech (AVs and ADAS). @iihs-hldi.bsky.social head of research says ADAS leads people to drive more dangerously, negating its crash avoidance potential. A reminder that safety tech can look a lot less useful when you consider human behavior changes.
- One of the best write ups I’ve read on road safety claims by AVs. We’re not comparing apples with apples human driver v AV. And remember: “Self-driving technology is only one of many tactics available to reduce crashes, and it is not at all clear that it offers the highest return on investment”
- New paper out with Carlo Luiu in Journal of Transport & Health. We call for a new research agenda that treats walking as health care and streets as spaces of care for older adults in African cities. 🚶🏾♀️ From walking-by-necessity to walking-by-design. 🌍 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
- Spoke on BBC Radio 5 & Radio Wales on older driver safety Eyesight matters, but visual acuity alone is not linked to crash risk Evidence supports supportive, age-friendly approaches over blunt screening 🎧 BBC 5 (1h17m): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... BBC Wales (48m): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteIs laughter heritable? On the evolution of laughter, why Darwin tickled chimpanzees, giggling twins, and what might be the only trait that is completely heritable (a bit gross). You can't go wrong with Nancy Segal and Sophie Scott on the show. @aberuni.bsky.social @charliemuss.bsky.social
- That Asda Christmas advert is awful. From the stereotypical nonsense that the dad is (and hence, hilariously, all dads are) a grinch around Christmas to the local market being hideously expensive compared to the multinational Asda - to that horrible smug singing at the end youtu.be/Cq2MtslmFX4?...
- 🚌🚞🚵♀️ 58th Universities Transport Study Group Annual Conference is at the University of Surrey 13-15 July 2026 ✨Bring your bold ideas, bright visions & transport futures to Surrey in July Abstract submission open, deadline: 10 Feb '26 → utsg.net/annual-confe... See you in the Guildford sunshine! ☀️
- Today I spoke on phone-ins on BBC Radio 5 & BBC Radio Wales about the default 20mph limit. 🔹 Safety is improving 🔹 Public attitudes are shifting as the policy beds in 📻 BBC Radio 5 (1h42): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... 📻 BBC Radio Wales (44 mins): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
- Great evening last night watching System 7 and Ozric Tentacles. Where prog meets dance and it works.
- 📝New article! ✨Working with an advisory group to share power to shape intergenerational climate debate, challenge climate stereotypes & spark creativity - collage, walking, comic futures & a workshop dice-game 🎲Huge thanks to collaborators! 🙌 #ClimateResearch www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
- This is a good point. I found 88% of older people didn’t walk at the DfT required speed of 1.2m/s (no one knows where that figure comes from by the way - think it’s a 1950s MSc diss from the US) (I didn’t look at blackout period) see more www.drcharliemuss.com/crossing-the...
- There was an excellent video aimed at Boris Johnson when he was mayor 3 out of 4 older people can’t cross the road. Wanting very catchy lyrics and tune … youtu.be/lpwboQxVJtg?...
- Great to see Will Barnes Quartet tonight. Impressive musicianship, some amazing crazy changes in melody and timing. Prog rock and metal influences in some excellent Welsh place based jazz. Well done Aberystwyth Arts Centre - great venue and sound. More about them here ukjazznews.com/will-barnes-...
- 🚗 New paper out! We analysed 70k+ tweets about Wales’ new 20 mph speed limit Public negativity dropped & positivity rose over 6 months — showing attitudes adapt with time 🕒 “Public perspectives on the 20 mph speed reduction in Wales” 🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.js... #20mph #RoadSafety #BehaviourChange
- 📊 Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) & VADER sentiment analysis, we explored how public debate evolved. At first, the 20 mph policy was framed as “political” — but over time, talk shifted toward safety, children, and urban mobility. People began seeing the benefits 🚸
- 💡 Key takeaway: even controversial policies can gain acceptance when: The benefits become visible (e.g., fewer crashes, safer streets) People have time to adapt Communication is open & evidence-led Behaviour change takes time — but it does happen. #PublicPolicy #Transport #Wales
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View full threadFree full paper link for 50 days here: authors.elsevier.com/c/1m4Iq56Waj...
- Loved teaching our MSc Behaviour Change students this week — great ideas on how psychology can shape more sustainable and inclusive transport! 🚴♀️🚌 #BehaviourChange #TransportPsychology
- A great chat on BBC Radio Wales about driving etiquette — it’s not just about rules, but norms. We could all slow down a bit. It barely adds time to our journey, but makes driving calmer, more civil, and less stressful for all.🚗✨ 1h10m in www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... #DrivingEtiquette #RoadSafety
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteDo you know what? It IS working. It hasn't caused tailbacks, quite the opposite actually. More importantly it's saved the lives of at least a dozen kids. Reform are actually campaigning for the return of more deaths and injuries. Absolutely bonkers.
- I haven’t heard this before either … great to hear the middle of side 1 live! Love the end section to Heart of Lothian - curtain call
- This is simply amazing. I’ve never seen this footage before, and so glad I found it. I really wish I could have seen the band during this era. A special time, and a very special album for me 🥰✨ youtu.be/2p_6W6PDKr0?...
- Back to see Port Talbot Town play football for the first time in 5 and a half years. It was as if I hadn’t been away. Such a sense of community in that area, like I don’t know anywhere else, despite what the town goes through. What a win over local team Lido 2 divs higher, 3-1 in the cup. #forzaptt
- Also this week I had the pleasure of visiting Surrey Uni and delivering a talk on Wales' 20mph to the Business School. Thanks Nikolas Thomopoulos for hosting. Talked about the successes (fewer collisions) alongside the challenges (selling it to the public and how it becomes a political football)
- Giving up driving isn’t just about getting around — it’s about independence, identity & confidence. I spoke National Office of Traffic Medicine, Ireland, about how we can make this transition kinder, tackling both the practical and emotional sides. #Ageing #Mobility
- Reposted by Prof Charles Musselwhite🎉 The Call for Submissions for IAPS 2026 Conference is now open! 📅 Submission deadline: 9 January 2026 (23:59 GMT) 📝 For guidance on how to submit, and full details of the conference, visit our website: surrey.ac.uk/iaps2026 @iaps-association.bsky.social @eprg-surrey.bsky.social
- 🐴 New paper: Equestrian Road Safety - 1.5M riders on UK roads, yet policy rarely includes them. - Close passing + speeding are key risks — & horses aren’t vehicles, they’re sentient road users. #RoadSafety #EquestrianSafety #ActiveTravel Read it here: authors.elsevier.com/a/1lx1f7tR-3...
- Overview of some of my research with older people & transport: 🚌Redesigning public transport - better signage, lighting, and staff training 🚷Making it easier to cross the road 🤖 Future transport involving automation & AI must involve older people in tech development www.aber.ac.uk/en/rbi/resea...
- New book chapter out:ageing, transport & decarbonisation in an excellent new edited collection Towards Transport Net Zero Take-home message:older people want to be part of the decarbonisation agenda. We need supportive policy to help with active & public transport use www.emerald.com/books/edited...
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteDo you remember Twitter/X before it went off the rails? Not too long ago it was a useful digital town square for public debate. We used it to track public opinion when the UK Emergency Active Travel Fund was introduced in May 2020 🔓Open access article can be found here👉 doi.org/10.1016/j.tb... (1/)
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteWit Happens: A Light-hearted Dive into the Science of Humour. A free public lecture on the psychology of humour at the start of Aberystwyth Comedy Festival. Friday, October 3. Tickets at abercomedyfest.co.uk/show/2025/dr... (via @machcomedyfest) @charliemuss.bsky.social @prifaber.bsky.social
- I like it, I enjoy walking! But important to remember the correlation and causation relationship is always an issue here… there is no way of separating it, we can try but it’s never perfect…
- Newly published research quantifies the health benefits of walking fast: Study participants who fast walked for at least 15 minutes every day saw a nearly 20% reduction in premature deaths. edition.cnn.com/2025/08/11/h...
- What a dreadful article from the Independent. Wrong on every front. If you think autonomous vehicles is going to save the world then you’re hugely mistaken. Also I’ve studied transport and ageing for 25 years, eyesight is the only test that makes a difference to road safety…
- This piece couldn’t be more wrong. I work in ophthalmology and if optometrist in the UK were allowed to legally stop people with reduced vision from driving it would really make a difference. All people not just elderly need a driving eye test. Source: The Independent share.google/8cZb6lrY4iDo...
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteLatest research on public attitudes from me👇 “The public are clear what better transport looks like. No matter how you vote, where you live or currently get around there is a clear desire for more public transport options and for these to be affordable, accessible and better integrated.”
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteFree bus passes should be given to all under 22-year-olds in England MPs say In a new report today, the Commons Transport Committee said giving free bus passes to all under 22-year-olds would improve young people's access to 'work and skills opportunities' www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
- Reposted by Prof Charles Musselwhite“The journeys that people make around their neighbourhoods and as part of their daily routines can be the foundation for good health, stronger communities and thriving local economies” 🚎 🚶🏾♀️ 🚃 🚇 🚲 🚙 🛴 #urbanism #publictransport #mobility #community Via @ippr.org
- Hanging out with architectural designer and urban planner le Corbusier today!
- Couple of radio interviews from a balcony on the South of France BBC radio 5 live (at 2h40) www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... BBC radio Wales (at 1h10mins www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... Sight tests a good thing for older drivers there is evidence they work: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteFranzösische Städte sind auch weit außerhalb von Paris viel weiter mit der Verkehrswende als wir. Hier wurde z.B. in Avignon auf einer der Hauptrouten (Brücke) gut 1/3 der ursprünglichen Fahrbahn zu einem relativ großzügigen 2-Richtungs-Radweg. Auf dem Hochbord ahnt man noch die alte Markierung.
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteWoran man erkennen kann, dass sich was tut? Dieser Radverkehrs-Zähler wurde so 2020/2021 installiert, mit einer Skala bis 500'000. Dieses Jahr steht er schon in der ersten Augustwoche bei 380'000 und es ist nicht klar, ob der Rest noch fürs Jahr ausreicht.
- Avignon by train. Everything a lesson in planning the UK needs to learn. Avignon TGV station concedes a lot of passenger last/first mile to the car but area around it includes hotels, residential areas, training centres, small goods and a huge rail-road freight depot with containers.
- And the city centre itself has train. For a city of 91000 population. The equivalent of somewhere like Chester, Bath or Hartlepool having a tram.
- New retro BBC clock, second hand smoothly gliding along, in my home office, reminding me of years past as it counts forwards! Thanks @hiddenbritain.bsky.social
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteTotally agree with this post. Why can't Britain deliver big infrastructure projects without three-quarters of the cost being leeched off to consultants & inflated salaries/bonuses? It's effectively legalised corruption and theft of state money for private pockets isn't it?
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteAfter 3 desk rejects and 2 major rewrites (with a 17-page rebuttal (!), and cutting word count by 25%), I am pleased that my paper on policy appraisals and second-order beliefs in climate policy has found a home in @climate-policy.bsky.social: (1/) @cast-centre.bsky.social doi.org/10.1080/1469...
- Early start to the day discussing older drivers safety and issues around reporting health conditions to the DVLA on BBC Radio Wales. Who reports health conditons to DVLA, who doesn't. Should healthcare practitioners play a role? www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m... (43 mins in or so)
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteThe Melbourne Declaration on Transport, Health and Inequalities www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteAs someone actually trained in behavioural psychology—unlike most MPs—I can tell you: financial precarity doesn’t “incentivise” sick people to work. It breaks them. Stress worsens health. Fear doesn’t create productivity. It creates collapse. #TakingThePIP
- DWP boss just said Universal Credit gives disabled people 'perverse incentives' not to work Liz Kendall's shocking comments came just as a new report slams the DWP for failing vulnerable claimants. So which is it??? www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/...
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteAre you interested in how social science insights can inform transport policy🚆? Watch the recording of our webinar with Dr Matthew Niblett, @charliemuss.bsky.social, Dr Siobhan Campbell (nmisgroup.bsky.social) & @iaindocherty.bsky.social to find out more📽️➡️
- New article - are rural drivers different to urban drivers: 🏞️ Rural drivers have high internal & low external demands = more risky driving 🌆 Urban drivers get frustrated with internal & external demands = more lapses & more anger, but fewer severe collisions www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteI took a break from the Cambrian mountains to look at the National Library of Wales in Aber today and here’s some punchy artwork on display that caught my eye in the There’s ‘No Welsh Art’ exhibition. A thread
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteOur new study on the heritablity of humor ability. Surprising result, no heritablity for humor production, only for self-assessed humor. Possible null effect due to low power, skewed sample, artificial tasks, and other factors. First study on the topic. See: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteInteresting new study from @smfthinktank.bsky.social finds a correlation between car dependency & loneliness, particularly in rural towns. This might be due to there being “fewer ways to reach others” and space given to cars creating “barriers in what might have been walkable neighbourhoods.”
- Enjoyable day back where much of my career begun with the excellent Centre for Transport & Society at University of the West of England - delighted to be a panel member at their excellent annual transport research symposium
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteDo you use a wheelchair or a mobility scooter? We at #SlowWays have proven a method for finding and sharing the best walking routes. Would you like something similar for wheelchair and scooter routes? Take a look 👉 www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/slowways @slowwaysuk.bsky.social 💫
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteInfluential figures can encourage faster adoption of pro-environmental behavior as the right thing to do through: Phase 1: Moral recognition Phase 2: Moral amplification Phase 3: Approaching tipping points Phase 4: Institutionalization Phase 5: Norm abandonment www.cell.com/one-earth/fu...
- 🌲Ed Sheeran explains to Louis Theroux that he dislikes private jets and prefers trains because "I like the environment, I like trees." We know that this type of messaging from celebrities is hugely impactful. We need far more of this from more stars. As posted by @nowthisimpact.bsky.social
- Great thread here about travelling from Dublin to Munich! Much more detail than my Dublin-South Wales post. The adventure is always best across land. Thanks Niels…
- Y’day journey Dublin-S.Wales. 👍 lovely chat with Nolan Bus driver - Dublin City-Port 👍 Stena crossing Dublin-Holyhead is ace 👎 Holyhead-Cardiff new trains so why only 3 coaches, no wifi or air con 👎 chaos at Cardiff station 👍 loco hauled mk 4 coach for final part:why can’t all trains be like this!
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteThere's always a cartoon by @andy-singer.bsky.social that nails it.
- Best thing about a conference! Impromptu drinks with people from around the world
- Universities Transport Studies Group conference in Dublin has been a great. 3 papers co-presented: 🏎️ attitudes towards 20mph speed limits in wales & 🚜Rural road safety with Burcu Tekes from Turkey 🌏Healthy ageing & transport in Asia with Guibo Sun Now I take over as Chair for next 3 yrs!
- At universities transport studies group conference in Dublin, Dr Guibo Sun presents transport and healthy ageing research - including our special issue in Journal of Transport and Health you can see here www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...
- Stellar adventures aboard the Stenna Adventurer yesterday meeting up with some old colleagues on our way to the Universities Transport Studies Group Conference in Dublin @drdgwilliams.bsky.social
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteWould more people get to enjoying active travel and time outdoors if they had better route information? Do you use a wheelchair, scooter or pushchair and feel limited by a lack of good information on accessible paths? We've got a plan. Please look and share! www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/slowways ⭐🐌
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteLatest news in an unfolding self-inflicted disaster, not just for UK universities but for the UK itself. One of our genuinely world-class sectors is being trashed, with all that means for UK economy, soft power, scientific & cultural life. 'World-class' isn't, for once, blimpish hyperbole ... 1/2
- In this new article we identify how short term disruption to bus services effects older people’s health and wellbeing but also their independence and freedom (often previously only linked to giving up driving) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
- Psychology at Aberystwyth Uni is supporting @abercompsci.bsky.social in this project addressing how technology can meet needs of carers, family & those receiving care. Great to meet @sarah4bridgend.bsky.social who it was clear has a real passion for getting health & social care right across Wales.
- It was a pleasure to welcome the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy MS, to our Smart Home Lab. She heard about our partnership with Powys Council to deliver care in new ways that helps reduce pressures on the system. @abercompsci.bsky.social @sarah4bridgend.bsky.social
- Reposted by Prof Charles Musselwhite🚐 New paper out! My final paper on community transport with @timschwanen.bsky.social at @tsuoxford.bsky.social is now published open access in Journal of Rural Studies. What’s it about? See 🧵 below!
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteOur free, inaugural online event 'Connecting People, Place & Practice in Environmental Psychology' is open to @bpsofficial.bsky.social members & the wider community interested in the intersection between people, places, and psychology. 02 July 2025 10:00am - 2:30pm www.bps.org.uk/event/connec...
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteRemember 2 months ago when Wales was screwed over by the UK Gov? Well despite lobbying by the Welsh Gov the Treasury have refused to row back on their decision. Therefore Wales will have to go into its reserves. This will not happen in England. 'A partnership in power?'
- Thanks for having us Psychology lot at Beach Lab @abercompsci.bsky.social the best Robots on the Prom event out there!
- Reposted by Prof Charles Musselwhite"University: A Good Idea". Excellent piece by @patporter76.bsky.social, reasserting the humanist idea of the university as a place to think, grow and argue; not as a consumer experience providing employable skills. thecritic.co.uk/university-a...
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteIn case anyone wants some heavy reading on the topic of transport noise: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Map from that article shows Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) lost per 100,000 people/yr due to road-traffic noise exposures above 50 dB across England. Total = 97,000 DALYs/yr
- Reposted by Prof Charles Musselwhite+BBC CLOCK COMPETITION+ We won't be making a run of these but this Bank Holiday weekend you can win a one-off 90s inspired BBC ident clock. Follow, Like & RP to enter. Winner announced Mon AM. We've also restocked our 'Radiophonic' inspired signs & other items. hiddenbritain.bigcartel.com
- Reposted by Prof Charles MusselwhiteInteresting study from Aotearoa NZ. Concludes: "Appropriately designed e-bike support programmes have an important role in broadening equitable access to cycling. This study underscores the importance of considering the needs of families in designing cycling programmes, infrastructure and policies"
- Latest edition of EnvisAGE journal is a bumper publication focusing on preventative health care services for older people and includes some brilliant case studies of projects and research from across Wales...
- We’re at the Senedd today for the launch of our envisAGE journal. Looking forward to an informative day. You can read a copy on our website www.agecymru.org.uk/envisage
- Reposted by Prof Charles Musselwhite🤖 Our Beachlab event makes its return on 31 May, bringing quirky robotics and the latest technology to the seafront. More: tinyl.co/3KsD
- Great day giving the keynote at the Community Transport Wales Conference, Llandudno. Such a vibrant group playing an absolutely crucial role in society. How do we make it more sustainable and more mainstream without losing its edge!
