Mr Josef Toon

Joe completed both his undergraduate degree and doctorate at De Montfort University and will completing his doctoral viva this year. Joe's doctoral research focuses on exploring the organisation and structure of semantic memory by exploring the retrieval of conceptual knowledge during the processing of lingusitic and environmental sounds. Joe uses novel behavioural methods such as cursor-tracking to index semantic competition and looks at neural processes via EEG.

Joe also works as a Research Consultant within industry, where he focuses on Health Psychology and coordinates the analysis of outcomes various projects and trials within a community weight programme. Here, Joe examines anthropometric, health and psychosocial outcomes following weight loss, in addition to exploring what factors predict successful weight loss and weight loss maintenance.

Institute for Psychological Science

• Toon, J., Bisson, M.-J., Scase, M., & Kukona, A. (2023). Linguistic and environmental sound stimuli activate taxonomic and thematic relations differently. The Cognitive Psychology Bulletin, 8, 51–54
• Toon, J., Bisson, M. J., Scase, M., & Kukona, A. (2022). Continuous cursor-captured conceptual competition: Investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of spoken word comprehension. Memory & cognition, 10.3758/s13421-022-01358-3. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-022-01358-3
• Toon, J., Geneva, M., Sharpe, P., Lavin, S., Bennett, S., & Avery A. (2022). Weight loss outcomes achieved by adults accessing an online programme offered as part of Public Health England’s ‘Better Health’ campaign. BMC Public Health 22, 1456 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13847-w
• Avery, A., Toon, J., Kent, J., Holloway, L., Lavin, J., & Bennett, S. E. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on health-related behaviours, well-being and weight management. BMC public health, 21(1), 1152. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11143-7
• Toon, J., & Kukona, A. (2020). Activating Semantic Knowledge During Spoken Words and Environmental Sounds: Evidence From the Visual World Paradigm. Cognitive science, 44(1), e12810. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12810
• Toon, J., Bennett, S,E., Avery, A., Roberts, K, E., Holloway, L., Pallister, C., Lavin, J. (2019) Levels of engagement as a predictor of long-term weight loss in over 1 million adults attending a commercial weight management programme. Obesity Facts (12) p176. https://doi.org/10.1159/000497797
• Toon, J., Bennett, S, E., Avery, A., Roberts, K, E., Holloway, L., Pallister, C., Lavin, J. (2019) Longer term weight outcomes following a 12-week referral to a multicomponent lifestyle weight management programme across high BMI patients. Obesity Facts (12) p177. https://doi.org/10.1159/000497797
• Toon, J., Bennett, S,E., Avery, A., Roberts, K, E., Holloway, L., Pallister, C., Lavin, J. (2019) Clinically significant weight loss for patients across socioeconomic backgrounds following referral to a multicomponent weight management programme. Obesity Facts (12) p236. https://doi.org/10.1159/000497797

Joe's research interests include

• Cognitive Psychology
• Semantic Memory
• Psycholinguistics
• Health Psychology
• Behaviour Change
• Health and Well-being
• Digital Healthcare Interventions
• Quantitative Methods
• Statistical

• PSYC1200 Core Areas and Research Methods
• PSYC1300 Applied Psychology
• PSYC2013 Further Research Methods for Psychologists
• PSYC2092 Cognitive Psychology
• PSYC2094 Personality and Intelligence
• PSYC3033 Research Methods for Understanding and Evaluating Psychological Well-being
• PSYC5411 Research Methods in Psychological Well-being

BSc (Hons) Psychology with Health Studies (1st)

BSc (Hons) Psychology MSc Psychological Wellbeing

• Postgraduate Member of the Experimental Psychology Society
• Member of the UK Society for Behaviour Medicine
• Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society (MBPsS)

• Toon, J. (2023). Implementing Online Cursor Tracking To Study Psycholinguistic Phenomena. Invited Speaker at Mouse Tracking Workshop. The Arctic University of Norway [Online Event]
• Toon, J. (2023). Linguistic and non-linguistic stimuli activate taxonomic and thematic relations differently. Presentation at the Experimental Psychology Society Conference, London.
• Toon, J. (2021). Continuous cursor-captured conceptual competition: Investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of spoken word comprehension. Presentation at the Architectures and Mechanism for Language Processing conference, York.
• Toon, J., Bisson, M. J., Kukona, A. (2020). Tracking cognitive processing during spoken word comprehension using the cursor. Presentation at the Experimental Psychology Society [Online Event]
• Toon, J., Bennett, S, E., Roberts, K, E., Lavin, J. (2020). Behaviour and weight outcomes following referral to a multicomponent weight management programme. Presented at UK Society for Behavioural Medicine, Bath
• Toon, J., Bennett, SE., Roberts. KE, Lavin, J. (2019) Evaluating outcomes in commercial weight programs: methodological challenges and pragmatic solutions. Presented at Obesity Week, Las Vegas

• Quantitative Methods
• Behaviour Change
• Data Science

0000-0001-6838-7115