Cortical regulation of attentional capture. The proposed experiments examine how brain mechanisms interact to determine whether a stimulus will capture our attention, distracting us from the task at hand. The experiments test competing theories of attentional control and have implications for clinical populations (for example, stroke) that have difficulty avoiding distraction.
Attention please! Selective attention and human associative learning. Selective attention allows us to pick useful pieces of information out of the mass of stimulation that we're faced with every moment. This project investigates how what we've previously learnt about the significance of events influences whether we'll pick them out as useful in future, and how this might be impaired by old age or mental disorder.
A process model of visual working memory. This project aims to develop a process model of encoding of items into memory. Working memory is central to almost all cognitive functions, but little is known about short-term memory for visual information. Progress in this area is slow because of a focus on models that do not specify the processes underlying memory, and no model explains the processes that would limit the number of items the memory can hold to four. A process model is expected to addre ....A process model of visual working memory. This project aims to develop a process model of encoding of items into memory. Working memory is central to almost all cognitive functions, but little is known about short-term memory for visual information. Progress in this area is slow because of a focus on models that do not specify the processes underlying memory, and no model explains the processes that would limit the number of items the memory can hold to four. A process model is expected to address fundamental issues in visual working memory.Read moreRead less
Tracking towards a complete model of skilled reading comprehension. This project aims to promote the development of the first complete computational model of reading comprehension. Many computational models of sub-components of reading have been developed, but none fully explain the complex co-ordination of perceptual, attentional and cognitive processes required for successful comprehension. The project intends to use eye tracking studies to test and refine Über-Reader, a new computational mode ....Tracking towards a complete model of skilled reading comprehension. This project aims to promote the development of the first complete computational model of reading comprehension. Many computational models of sub-components of reading have been developed, but none fully explain the complex co-ordination of perceptual, attentional and cognitive processes required for successful comprehension. The project intends to use eye tracking studies to test and refine Über-Reader, a new computational model that aims to provide a complete account of the memory systems and cognitive processes involved in reading comprehension and how they differ with reading skill. The outcomes will advance understanding of the causes of success and failure in reading and contribute to diagnosing and remediating reading difficulties.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100043
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$426,970.00
Summary
Autobiographical memory as a key to successful psychological functioning. This project aims to develop a theoretical framework that will explain how the retrieval of autobiographical memories may be essential for good mental health. Using cutting-edge statistical techniques, an international team of researchers will track young adults over a number of years to explore whether autobiographical memory retrieval underlies development of both adaptive and dysfunctional aspects of psychological funct ....Autobiographical memory as a key to successful psychological functioning. This project aims to develop a theoretical framework that will explain how the retrieval of autobiographical memories may be essential for good mental health. Using cutting-edge statistical techniques, an international team of researchers will track young adults over a number of years to explore whether autobiographical memory retrieval underlies development of both adaptive and dysfunctional aspects of psychological functioning. Expected project outcomes will indicate whether future researchers could enhance autobiographical memory to promote healthy development and potentially prevent mental illness from ever emerging. This will allow future researchers to use cognitive science to benefit the mental health of Australians.Read moreRead less
Decoding the neural representation of objects in the human brain. Humans can effortlessly recognise thousands of objects in a fraction of a second. This essential capacity is an integral part of our daily lives that allows us to recognise our keys, our car, our friends and family. This project will elucidate how humans recognise objects by investigating the neural representation of objects in the brain.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100915
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$345,000.00
Summary
Uncovering the dynamics of object selection from movement trajectories. This project aims to establish the dynamic properties of selection for perception and action, and develop a computational model of object selection across perception and action. Everyday actions depend on isolating the relevant object (perceptual selection) and appropriate grasp (action selection). It was long thought that distinct and sequential stages of processing carried out perceptual and action selection, but recent fi ....Uncovering the dynamics of object selection from movement trajectories. This project aims to establish the dynamic properties of selection for perception and action, and develop a computational model of object selection across perception and action. Everyday actions depend on isolating the relevant object (perceptual selection) and appropriate grasp (action selection). It was long thought that distinct and sequential stages of processing carried out perceptual and action selection, but recent findings suggested that a single mechanism may subserve both. Through a two-pronged approach including rigorous empirical work and computational modelling, this project aims to study this fundamental aspect of human cognition.Read moreRead less
The role of relational information in the guidance of visual attention. The project aims to develop a new theory of attention that describes more accurately which items in the visual field can pop out and grab attention. The potential practical gains of the project are high, as it can lead to significant advancements in robotic vision, transport safety, and provide insights into clinical disorders such as ADHD.
Comprehending text: A natural laboratory for investigating cognitive ageing. This project aims to determine whether the cognitive processes required for reading comprehension change in old age. Reading is a complex skill that requires precise co-ordination of perception, cognition and attention but appears relatively immune to age-related declines that impair performance in other complex cognitive tasks. Sophisticated eye tracking and electrophysiological studies will be analysed to specify how ....Comprehending text: A natural laboratory for investigating cognitive ageing. This project aims to determine whether the cognitive processes required for reading comprehension change in old age. Reading is a complex skill that requires precise co-ordination of perception, cognition and attention but appears relatively immune to age-related declines that impair performance in other complex cognitive tasks. Sophisticated eye tracking and electrophysiological studies will be analysed to specify how older adults adapt to the sensory and neural impairments associated with age. The outcomes will advance theories of cognitive ageing and reading comprehension and contribute to development of novel interventions to predict and enrich cognitive capacities in old age.Read moreRead less
Cracking the code for skilled reading: the role of lexical quality in word and sentence reading. This project tests the hypothesis that highly skilled reading depends on precisely specified stored knowledge about written words. This project will investigate how individual diffences in reading, spelling and vocabulary among expert readers influence the time course of early orthographic and semantic processes in word identification and the pattern of lecical and contextual influences on eye moveme ....Cracking the code for skilled reading: the role of lexical quality in word and sentence reading. This project tests the hypothesis that highly skilled reading depends on precisely specified stored knowledge about written words. This project will investigate how individual diffences in reading, spelling and vocabulary among expert readers influence the time course of early orthographic and semantic processes in word identification and the pattern of lecical and contextual influences on eye movements during sentence reading.Read moreRead less