Ruth M.J. Byrne, FTCD, MRIA, (born 1962) is an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

cognitive scientist and

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

of several books on human

reasoning Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, langu ...

. She is the Professor of Cognitive Science, in the School of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience,

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

. She is the former Vice Provost of Trinity College Dublin.

Career

Byrne was awarded a BA in Psychology from

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 33,284 student ...

(UCD) in 1983. She completed a PhD in Cognitive Psychology at

(TCD) in 1986. She worked as a research scientist at the

Applied Psychology Unit The Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit is a branch of the UK Medical Research Council, based in Cambridge, England. The CBSU is a centre for cognitive neuroscience, with a mission to improve human health by understanding and enhancing cognition ...

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, from 1986 to 1989, and as a lecturer in Psychology at

Cardiff University , latin_name = , image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University , motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord , mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord , established = 1 ...

from 1989 to 1991. She returned to Ireland in early 1991 as a college lecturer in the computer science department at

, and later that year she moved to a lectureship in the psychology department at

. She became an associate professor (now termed professor) in 1999, and full professor (personal chair), Professor of Cognitive Science, in 2005. Byrne was elected a Fellow of TCD in 1995, and became a Senior Fellow in 2021. She was the Vice Provost of TCD from 2005 to 2008, and has also served as head of TCD's Psychology department and deputy director of its Institute of neuroscience. Byrne was elected a member of the

Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier learned society and one its leading cultural ...

in 2007. She was awarded the Royal Irish Academy's 2021 Gold Medal in the Social Sciences.

Publication

Her writings include:
''The Rational Imagination: How People Create Alternatives to Reality''
(2005,

MIT Press The MIT Press is a university press affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States). It was established in 1962. History The MIT Press traces its origins back to 1926 when MIT publ ...

) * ''Deduction'' (1991, co-author

Philip Johnson-Laird Philip Nicholas Johnson-Laird, FRS, FBA (born 12 October 1936) is a philosopher of language and reasoning and a developer of the mental model theory of reasoning. He was a professor at Princeton University's Department of Psychology, as well ...

, Erlbaum) * ''Human Reasoning'' (1993, with Jonathan St B. T. Evans & Stephen Newstead, Erlbaum)

References

External links

''Reasoning and Imagination Lab''

Interview in "The Psychologist"
1962 births Irish psychologists Irish women psychologists Academics of Trinity College Dublin Members of the Royal Irish Academy Living people {{Ireland-scientist-stub