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Timothy John Brennen

Image of Timothy John Brennen
Phone +47 22 85 52 12
Available hours By agreement
Username
Visiting address Forskningsveien 3A Harald Schjelderups hus 0373 Oslo
Postal address Postboks 1094 Blindern 0317 Oslo

Academic interests

I have carried out research in many areas of legal psychology, including face recognition, memory for names, memory and emotions, memory and trauma, and lie detection. In addition I write about cognition over the annual cycle.

Higher education and employment history

I did my first degree at the University of Exeter, and my PhD at the University of Nottingham. Since then I have worked at Université Pierre Mendès France, the Université de Savoie (Chambéry), and the University of Tromsø. I was made full professor at the University of Oslo in 2003.

Appointments

  • Research Dean, Social Sciences Faculty, 2016 - 2019
  • Head of Research, and Deputy Head of Department, Department of Psychology, 2008-2011
  • Member of the Norwegian Criminal Cases Review Commission, 2019-2025
Tags: Cognitive psychology, Neuroscience, Neuropsychology

Publications

Tim Brennen, Sverre Blandhol, & Svein Magnussen (2026). Witnesses and their testimony: A model of credibility, reliability, and the factual truth. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/law0000498

Tim Brennen & Sverre Blandhol (2025). Rettspsykologi [Legal psychology]. Cappelen Damm Akademisk, 414 sider

Tim Brennen & Svein Magnussen (2023). Lie detection: What works? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 32, 395-401. DOI: 10.1177/09637214231173095

  • Brennen, Tim & Magnussen, Svein (2026). Hukommelse i et rettspsykologisk perspektiv – en oppsummering av kunnskap og anbefalinger anno 2025. Tidsskrift for strafferett. ISSN 1502-685X. 26(1), p. 3–21. doi: 10.18261/strafferett.26.1.1. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Blandhol, Sverre & Magnussen, Svein (2026). Witnesses and their testimony: A model of credibility, reliability, and the factual truth. Psychology, public policy and law. ISSN 1076-8971. doi: 10.1037/law0000498. Full text in Research Archive
  • Rustad, Eira & Brennen, Tim (2026). Castles in the Sky? Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging as a Forensic Lie Detector. Applied Cognitive Psychology. ISSN 0888-4080. 40(1). doi: 10.1002/acp.70176. Full text in Research Archive
  • Rustand, Andrea Nordvoll; Brennen, Tim; Wentzel-Larsen, Tore; Solberg, Øivind & Blix, Ines (2025). Autobiographical Memory for Emotional Events: A Test of the ‘Warning Signal’ Hypothesis. Applied Cognitive Psychology. ISSN 0888-4080. 39(4). doi: 10.1002/acp.70106. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim & Magnussen, Svein (2024). Er vitnepsykologien kulturfri? Lov og Rett. ISSN 0024-6980. 63, p. 519–532. doi: 10.18261/lor.63.8.3. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim & Magnussen, Svein (2024). The perils of methods that detect lies 70% of the time: A reply to Ben-Shakhar and Verschuere (2024). Legal and Criminological Psychology. ISSN 1355-3259. 29, p. 128–131. doi: 10.1111/lcrp.12266. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim & Magnussen, Svein (2023). Lie Detection: What Works? Current Directions in Psychological Science. ISSN 0963-7214. 32, p. 395–401. doi: 10.1177/09637214231173095. Full text in Research Archive
  • Stridbeck, Ulf Johan & Brennen, Tim (2023). Miscarriages of justice in Norway. In Robins, Jon (Eds.), Murder, Wrongful Conviction and the Law. An International Comparative Analysis. Routledge. ISSN 9781003251484. p. 65–86. doi: 10.4324/9781003251484-5. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim & Magnussen, Svein (2022). Memory. In Tierney, Robert J.; Rizvi, Fazal & Erkican, Kadriye (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Education (4th Edition). Elsevier. ISSN 9780128186299. p. 219–228. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-818630-5.14017-5. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim & Magnussen, Svein (2022). The Science of Lie Detection by Verbal Cues: What Are the Prospects for Its Practical Applicability? Frontiers in Psychology. 13. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.835285. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; Brennen, Tim & Magnussen, Svein (2021). Norske dommeres kunnskap om påliteligheten av øyevitneforklaringer – 12 år senere. Lov og Rett. ISSN 0024-6980. 60, p. 521–532. doi: 10.18261/issn.1504-3061-2021-09-03. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Blix, Ines; Nissen, Alexander; Holmes, Emily A.; Skumlien, Martine & Solberg, Øivind (2021). Investigating the frequency of intrusive memories after 24 hours using a visuospatial interference intervention: a follow-up and extension. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. 12(1), p. 1–12. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2021.1953788. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim (2021). Is cognition seasonal? New Ideas in Psychology. ISSN 0732-118X. 61. doi: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2021.100852. Full text in Research Archive
  • Sumampouw, Nathanael; Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; Magnussen, Svein; Otgaar, Henry & Brennen, Tim (2021). Knowledge about eyewitness testimony: a survey of Indonesian police officers and psychologists. Psychology, Crime and Law. ISSN 1068-316X. 28, p. 763–777. doi: 10.1080/1068316X.2021.1962868. Full text in Research Archive
  • Melinder, Annika Maria D; Brennen, Timothy John; Husby, Mikael Falkhaugen & Vassend, Olav (2020). Personality, confirmation bias, and forensic interviewing performance. Applied Cognitive Psychology. ISSN 0888-4080. doi: 10.1002/acp.3674. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; McGill, Lucy; Magnussen, Svein J; Richardson, Stéphanie; Saraiva, Renan & Stadel, Marie [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2020). Norwegian judges' knowledge of factors affecting eyewitness testimony: A 12-year follow-up. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law. ISSN 1321-8719. 28(5), p. 665–682. doi: 10.1080/13218719.2020.1837028. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim & Magnussen, Svein (2020). Research on non-verbal signs of lies and deceit: A blind alley. Frontiers in Psychology. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.613410. Full text in Research Archive
  • Siqveland, Johan; Hauff, Edvard; Ruud, Torleif & Brennen, Timothy John (2018). Posttraumatic stress and autobiographical memory in chronic pain patients. Scandinavian Journal of Pain. ISSN 1877-8860. doi: 10.1515/sjpain-2018-0044. Full text in Research Archive
  • Skule, Anne Cecilie; Ulleberg, Pål; Lending, Hilde Dallavara; Berge, Torkil; Egeland, Jens & Brennen, Tim [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2014). Depressive Symptoms in People with and without Alcohol Abuse: Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) Across Groups. PLOS ONE. 9(2). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0088321. Full text in Research Archive
  • Hofsten, Olov von; Hofsten, Claes von; Sulutvedt, Unni; Laeng, Bruno; Brennen, Tim & Magnussen, Svein (2014). Simulating newborn face perception. Journal of Vision. 14:16(13). doi: 10.1167/14.13.16. Full text in Research Archive
  • Thimm, Jens; Holte, Arne; Brennen, Tim & Wang, Catharina E. (2013). Hope and expectancies for future events in depression. Frontiers in Psychology. 4. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00470. Full text in Research Archive
  • Blix, Ines & Brennen, Tim (2012). Retrieval-induced forgetting after trauma: A study with victims of sexual assault. Cognition & Emotion. ISSN 0269-9931. 26(2), p. 321–331. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2011.570312. Full text in Research Archive
  • Ihrke, Matthias & Brennen, Tim (2011). Sharing one biographical detail elicits priming between famous names: Empirical and computational approaches. Frontiers in Psychology. 2. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00075. Full text in Research Archive
  • Blix, Ines & Brennen, Tim (2011). Intentional forgetting of emotional words after trauma: A study with victims of sexual assault. Frontiers in Psychology. 2. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00235. Full text in Research Archive
  • Blix, Ines & Brennen, Tim (2011). Mental time travel after trauma: The specificity and temporal distribution of autobiographical memories and future-directed thoughts. Memory. ISSN 0965-8211. 19(8), p. 956–967. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2011.618500. Full text in Research Archive
  • Magnussen, Svein & Brennen, Tim (2011). Memory, Learning and cognition in education. Elsevier. ISSN 9780123814388. p. 85–91. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Hasanovic, M; Zotovic, M; Blix, Ines; Skar, Ane-Marthe Solheim & Prelic, NK [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2010). Trauma Exposure in Childhood Impairs the Ability to Recall Specific Autobiographical Memories in Late Adolescence. Journal of Traumatic Stress. ISSN 0894-9867. 23(2), p. 240–247. doi: 10.1002/jts.20513. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim (2010). Reflections on collaboration with Tuzla in the field of psychology and war: Past, present and future. Acta Medica Saliniana. ISSN 0350-364X. 39, p. 43–45. Full text in Research Archive
  • Dehli, Lars & Brennen, Tim (2009). Does retrieval-induced forgetting occur for emotional stimuli? Cognition & Emotion. ISSN 0269-9931. 23, p. 1056–1068. doi: 10.1080/02699930802285221. Full text in Research Archive
  • Sæther, Line; Belle, Werner Van; Laeng, Bruno; Brennen, Tim & Øvervoll, Morten (2009). Anchoring gaze when categorizing faces' sex: Evidence from eye-tracking data. Vision Research. ISSN 0042-6989. 49(23), p. 2870–2880. doi: 10.1016/j.visres.2009.09.001. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Dybdahl, Ragnhild & Kapidzic, Almasa (2007). Trauma-related and neutral false memories in war-induced Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Consciousness and Cognition. ISSN 1053-8100. 16, p. 877–885. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2006.06.012. Full text in Research Archive
  • Laeng, Bruno; Brennen, T; Elden, Åke; Paulsen, Helle; Banerjee, A & Lipton, R (2007). Latitude-of-birth and season-of-birth effects on human color vision in the Arctic. Vision Research. ISSN 0042-6989. 47. doi: 10.1016/j/visres.2007.03.011. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Vikan, Anne & Dybdahl, Ragnhild (2007). Are tip-of-the-tongue states universal? Evidence from the speakers of an unwritten language. Memory. ISSN 0965-8211. 15(2), p. 167–176. doi: 10.1080/09658210601164743. Full text in Research Archive
  • Wang, Catharina; Brennen, Tim & Holte, Arne (2006). Automatic and effortful processing of self-statements in depression. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. ISSN 1650-6073. 35(2), p. 117–124. doi: 10.1080/16506070500466865. Full text in Research Archive
  • Wang, Catharina E.; Brennen, Tim & Holte, Arne (2006). Decreased approach motivation in depression. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. ISSN 0036-5564. 47(6), p. 505–511. Full text in Research Archive
  • Geraerts, Elke & Brennen, Tim (2006). Investigating cognitive abnormalities in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. In Roy, Michael (Eds.), Novel Approaches to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. IOS Press. ISSN 9781586035907. p. 31–40. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Hall, Catherine; Verplanken, Bas & Nunn, Julia (2005). Predictors of ideas about seasonal psychological fluctuations. Environment and Behavior. ISSN 0013-9165. 37. Full text in Research Archive
  • Wang, Catharina E.; Brennen, Tim & Holte, Arne (2005). Mechanisms of recurrent depression: A cognitive battle model and some preliminary results. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy. ISSN 1063-3995. 12, p. 427–442. Full text in Research Archive
  • Laeng, Bruno; Låg, Torstein & Brennen, Tim (2005). Reduced Stroop interference for opponent colors may be due to input factors: Evidence from individual differences and a neural network simulation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. ISSN 0096-1523. 31(3), p. 438–452. Full text in Research Archive
  • Laeng, Bruno; Låg, Torstein & Brennen, Tim (2005). Reduced Stroop interference for opponent colors may be due to input factors: Evidence from individual differences and a neural network simulation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. ISSN 0096-1523. 31, p. 438–52. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brédart, Serge; Brennen, Tim; Delchambre, Marie; McNeill, Allan & Burton, Mike (2005). Naming very familiar people: When retrieving names is faster than retrieving semantic biographical information. British Journal of Psychology. ISSN 0007-1269. 96. Full text in Research Archive
  • Laeng, Bruno; Brennen, Tim; Dahl, Tove Irene; Låg, Torstein; Sagvolden, Terje & Svartdal, Frode [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2004). The northernmost cognitive science laboratory. Cognitive Processing. ISSN 1612-4782. 5, p. 57–62. Full text in Research Archive
  • Laeng, Bruno & Brennen, Tim (2003). Of frames and mirrors: reflections on neglect. A reply to McCarthy (2002). Cortex. ISSN 0010-9452. 39, p. 541–553. Full text in Research Archive
  • Laeng, Bruno; Brennen, Tim; Johannessen, Kristin; Holmen, Kirsti & Elvestad, Rolf (2002). MULTIPLE REFERENCE FRAMES IN NEGLECT? AN INVESTIGATION OF THE OBJECT-CENTRED FRAME AND THE DISSOCIATION BETWEEN “NEAR” AND “FAR” FROM THE BODY BY USE OF A MIRROR. Cortex. ISSN 0010-9452. 38, p. 511–528. Full text in Research Archive
  • Laeng, Bruno; Brennen, Tim & Espeseth, Thomas (2002). Fast responses to neglected targets in visual search reflect pre-attentive processes: An exploration of response times in visual neglect. Neuropsychologia. ISSN 0028-3932. 40(1622). Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim (2000). On the meaning of personal names for identity: A view from cognitive psychology. Names: A Journal of Onomastics. ISSN 0027-7738. 48, p. 139–146. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim (1999). Face naming in dementia: a reply to Hodges and Greene (1998). Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology... ISSN 0033-555X. 52, p. 535–541. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Martinussen, Monica; Hjemdal, Odin & Hansen, Bernt O (1999). Arctic cognition: A study of cognitive performance in summer and winter at 69 degrees N. Applied Cognitive Psychology. ISSN 0888-4080. 13, p. 561–580. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brédart, Serge; Brennen, Tim & Valentine, Tim (1997). Dissociations between the Processing of Proper and Common Names. Cognitive Neuropsychology. ISSN 0264-3294. 14, p. 209–217. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; David, Danielle; Fluchaire, Isabelle & Pellat, Jacques (1996). Naming Faces and Objects Without Comprehension - A Case Study. Cognitive Neuropsychology. ISSN 0264-3294. 13, p. 93–110. Full text in Research Archive
  • Moreaud, Olivier; Pellat, Jacques; Charnallet, Annik; Carbonnel, Serge & Brennen, Tim (1995). Déficit de la production et de l'apprentissage des noms propres après lésion ischæmique tubérothalamique gauche. Revue neurologique (Paris). ISSN 0035-3787. 151, p. 93–99. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim (1993). The difficulty with recalling people's names: The plausible phonology hypothesis. Memory. ISSN 0965-8211. 1, p. 409–431. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim & Bruce, Vicki (1991). Context effects in the processing of familiar faces. Psychological Research. ISSN 0340-0727. 53, p. 296–304. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Vicki, Bruce; Baguley, Thom & Bright, Jim (1990). Resolving Semantically-induced Tip-of-the-Tongue States for Proper Nouns. Memory & Cognition. ISSN 0090-502X. 18, p. 339–347. Full text in Research Archive

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  • Brennen, Tim & Blandhol, Sverre (2025). Vitner og deres forklaringer: Troverdighet, pålitelighet og korrekthet. Lov og Rett. ISSN 0024-6980. 64(6), p. 425–439. doi: 10.18261/lor.64.6.5. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim (2024). Vurdering av vitnebevis – hvilken betydning har det at vitnet deltar digitalt? Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim (2024). Applying legal psychology in the justice system: Reflections on the Norwegian experience. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim & Magnussen, Svein (2023). Here is the truth about how to spot when someone is lying. Psyche. Full text in Research Archive
  • Rustand, Andrea Nordvoll; Blix, Ines & Brennen, Tim (2023). Autobiographical Memory for Emotional Events: A Test of the 'Warning Signal' Hypothesis. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim (2021). Vitnepsykologi. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim (2021). What happens to our cognition in the darkest depths of winter? Psyche. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Timothy John (2019). Expert psychological witnesses – how miscarriages of justice arise from their evidence - a view from Norway. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Timothy John (2019). Vitnepsykologi. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Timothy John (2018). Intervju om fargepersepsjon, og livsvitenskapssatsingen ved Universitetet i Oslo. [TV]. Østlandssendingen. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Timothy John (2018). Vitnepsykologi og sakkyndighet. Full text in Research Archive
  • Blix, Ines; Brennen, Timothy John & Solberg, Øivind (2018). Forskningsformidling er viktig, også før vi har to streker under svaret. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Timothy John (2018). Vitnepsykologi. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Timothy John (2017). You Better Believe it! What Cognitive Psychology Tells us About Fake News. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Timothy John (2017). Expecting the impossible? Humans in the forensic context. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Timothy John (2017). Fake news! Tro det eller ei? Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Timothy John & Sumampouw, Nael (2017). Being an expert psychological witness in court. Full text in Research Archive
  • Solberg, Øivind & Brennen, Timothy John (2017). "Stress and your memory...". Full text in Research Archive
  • Magnussen, Svein & Brennen, Tim (2010). Memory. In Peterson, Penelope; Baker, Eva & McGaw, Barry (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Education, Third edition, Volume 5. Elsevier. ISSN 9780080448930. p. 197–203. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim (2007). Norsk Psykologforenings syn på psykologi og psykologer. 44, p. 794–795. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Dybdahl, Ragnhild & Solberg, Øivind (2007). Retrieval-induced forgetting in war-induced PTSD. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Dybdahl, Ragnhild & Solberg, Øivind (2007). Retrieval-induced forgetting in war-induced PTSD. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Dybdahl, Ragnhild & Solberg, Øivind (2007). Intentional and unintentional forgetting in war-induced Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Full text in Research Archive
  • Blix, Ines; Brennen, Tim; Skar, Ane-Marthe Solheim; Hasanovic, Mevludin; Kravic, Nera & Memehdovic, Indira [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2007). The specificity of autobiographical memory in adolescents exposed to war in childhood. Full text in Research Archive
  • Wang, Catharina E.; Brennen, Tim & Holte, Arne (2006). Decreased approach motivation in depression. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim (2006). Palabras y alfabetización i Cobán. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Dybdahl, Ragnhild & Solberg, Øivind (2006). False recognition of trauma-related words in war-induced PTSD. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim & Geraerts, Elke (2005). Investigating cognitive abnormalities in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Dybdahl, Ragnhild; Jukic, Jasna & Kapidzic, Almasa (2005). War-related false memories in Bosnian PTSD patients and controls. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Dybdahl, Ragnhild & Kapidzic, Almasa (2005). Trauma-related false memories in war-induced Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Full text in Research Archive
  • McNeill, Allan; Burton, Mike; Brédart, Serge; Brennen, Tim & Delchambre, Marie (2004). Naming of faces occurs more quickly than semantic categorisation for very familiar people. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Dybdahl, Ragnhild; Jukic, Jasna & Kapidzic, Almasa (2003). Evidence of a specific impairment of inhibition for trauma-related material in patients with PTSD. Full text in Research Archive
  • Sæther, Line; Laeng, Bruno; Brennen, Tim & Rudi, Erik (2003). The Relevance Of The Nose For Sex. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim (2003). Å skille mellom Alzheimers demens og depresjon: Har psykologien noe å bidra med? Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Dybdahl, Ragnhild; Jukic, Jasna & Kapidzic, Almasa (2003). Directed forgetting of trauma-related material in patients with PTSD and controls. Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Dybdahl, Ragnhild; Vikan, Anne & Hernandez, Mirna Lem (2003). The role of literacy in the awareness of words and tip-of-the-tongue states. Full text in Research Archive
  • Wang, Catharina E.; Brennen, Tim & Holte, Arne (2002). Positivity bias or avoidant coping strategies in previously depressed individuals? Full text in Research Archive
  • Brennen, Tim; Færevaag, Fredrik Svartdal & Braaten, Linn Astrid Shin (2020). Psykologiforbundets karriereundersøkelse 2020. Psykologiforbundet. Full text in Research Archive

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Published Sep. 21, 2010 10:05 AM - Last modified May 28, 2026 11:52 AM