My fields of research include human flourishing, psychology of religion, contemplative neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and forensic neuroscience. I study Islamophobia; life-satisfaction, flourishing and resilience in religious groups, memory suppression, forensic brainwave analysis, and neural correlates of contemplative and ritual practices. I use experimental (behavioural as well as neuroscientific) and observational methods. In my current research project (int’l replication + panel Muslim data)
Publised articles
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Joseph A. Bulbulia, M. Usman Afzali, Kumar Yogeeswaran, and Chris G. Sibley. (2023). Long-term causal effects of far-right terrorism in New Zealand. PNAS Nexus, 2(8), 1–16, doi:
10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad242 -
M. Usman Afzali, Richard D. Jones, Alex P. Seren-Grace, Robin W. Palmer, Dena Makarious, Mariana N. B. Rodrigues, and Ewald Neumann. (2023). Classification accuracy of the event-related potentials-based *Brain Fingerprinting* and its robustness to direct-suppression and thought-substitution countermeasures. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 37(3), 480–495, doi:
10.1002/acp.4050 -
M. Usman Afzali, Alex P. Seren-Grace, Robin W. Palmer, Ewald Neumann, Sarah Makarious, Debra Wilson, and Richard D. Jones. (2022). Detection of concealed knowledge via the ERP-based technique *Brain Fingerprinting*: Real-life and real-crime incidents. Psychophysiology, 59(11), 1–21, doi:
10.1111/psyp.14110 -
Kate G. Byrne, Kumar Yogeeswaran, Martin J. Dorahy, Jessica Gale, M. Usman Afzali, Joseph A. Bulbulia, and Chris G. Sibley. (2022). Psychological impact of far-right terrorism against Muslim minorities on national distress, community, and wellbeing. Scientific Reports, 12(1620), doi:
10.1038/s41598-022-05678-x -
Sadi Shanaah, Kumar Yogeeswaran, Lara M. Greaves, Joseph A. Bulbulia, Danny Osborne, M. Usman Afzali, and Chris G. Sibley. (2021). Hate begets warmth? The impact of an anti-Muslim terrorist attack on public attitudes toward Muslims. Terrorism and Political Violence, 35(1), 156-174, doi:
10.1080/09546553.2021.1877673 -
Julia J. Rucklidge, M. Usman Afzali, Bonnie J. Kaplan, Oindrila Bhattacharya, F. Meredith Blampied, Roger T. Mulder, and Neville M. Blampied. (2021). Massacre, Earthquake, Flood: Translational science evidence that the use of micronutrients post-disaster reduces the risk of post-traumatic stress in survivors of disasters. International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, 10(1), 39-54, doi:
10.1027/2157-3891/a000003 -
M. Usman Afzali, Julie Viviana Cedeño Bustos, and Simon Kemp. (2020). Perception of financial satisfaction and its implications for free first-year education in New Zealand university students. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 49(2), 4-14.
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Chris G. Sibley, M. Usman Afzali, Nicole Satherley, Anastasia Ejova, Samantha Stronge, Kumar Yogeeswaran, Michael Grimshaw , Diala Hawi, Zahra Mirnajafi, Fiona Kate Barlow , Petar Milojev , Lara Greaves, Sarah Kapeli, Elena Zubielevitch, Logan Hamley, Maria C. Basabas, Marvin H. Wu, Chloe Howard, Carol H. J. Lee, Yanshu Huang, Christopher Lockhart, Joaquín Bahamondes , Sam Manuela, Taciano L. Milfont, Ryan Perry, Nikhil K. Sengupta, Nickola C. Overall, John H. Shaver, Geoffrey Troughton, Danny Osborne, and Joseph A. Bulbulia. (2020). Prejudice toward Muslims in New Zealand: Insights from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study. New Zealand Journal of Psychology 49(1), 48-72.
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Neville M. Blampied, Roger T. Mulder, M. Usman Afzali, Oindrila Bhattacharya, F. Meredith Blampied, and Julia J. Rucklidge. (2020). Disasters, policies and micronutrients: the intersect among ethics, evidence and effective action. New Zealand Medical Journal, 133(1508), 8-11.
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Kumar Yogeeswaran, M. Usman Afzali, Nadia P. Andrews, Elizabeth A. Chivers, Meng-Jie Wang, Thierry Devos, and Chris G. Sibley. (2019). Exploring New Zealand National Identity and Its Importance for Attitudes toward Muslims and Support for Diversity. New Zealand Journal of Psychology 48(1), 29-35.
Dissertation
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M. Usman Afzali. (2022). Suppressing unwanted memories and thoughts: Psychological traits and forensic brainwave investigations. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 37(3), 480–495, doi:
10.26021/13084
In Preparation
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Michel Funicelli and M. Usman Afzali. The Complex Trial Protocol and P300-MERMER: A critical analysis of two memory detection methods.
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Robin W. Palmer and M. Usman Afzali. Brain Fingerprinting: Science, Law, and Society.
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M. Usman Afzali. Enablers and challengers of collecting data from Muslim community in Aotearoa New Zealand: An in-depth qualitative exploration of research assistant experiences using NVivo and Copilot.
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M. Usman Afzali, Jamila S. Badis. A national longitudinal study of Muslim diversity and flourishing in New Zealand: Quantitative study protocol.
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M. Usman Afzali. Brain Fingerprinting: How to do better and why?
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M. Usman Afzali, Richard D. Jones, Ewald Neumann. Behavioural evidence of suppression-induced forgetting and its interaction with psychological traits.