Tracking reading comprehension: What experts reveal about the mind. This project plans to use expert readers to provide a window on what defines optimal reading. Reading is a complex skill that requires precise coordination of cognition, perception and attention. By measuring skilled readers’ eye movements while they read sentences and short passages, the experiments are designed to investigate how individual differences in reading, spelling and vocabulary influence the timing and coordination o ....Tracking reading comprehension: What experts reveal about the mind. This project plans to use expert readers to provide a window on what defines optimal reading. Reading is a complex skill that requires precise coordination of cognition, perception and attention. By measuring skilled readers’ eye movements while they read sentences and short passages, the experiments are designed to investigate how individual differences in reading, spelling and vocabulary influence the timing and coordination of word identification and comprehension processes during normal reading and how this changes with a readers' goals. The results would distinguish between competing theories of how skilled readers balance word identification and comprehension processes, an issue that is critical to current debates about how reading should be taught.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
Improving young drivers' speed management behaviour. This project incorporates proven educational and training techniques employed within the aviation industry to improve young drivers' speed management skills. Ultimately the results of this project will aid road safety authorities in redesigning training programmes to achieve this goal.
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
Improving novice drivers' speed and hazard management. The aim of the study is to extend the evidence-based approach we have developed for speed management (cognitive integration speed management training) to hazard management, thereby developing cognitive integration hazard management training for young drivers. Hence, this study is specifically designed to curb the alarming trend in young driver fatalities on Australian roads. The results of the research will provide clear direction to road au ....Improving novice drivers' speed and hazard management. The aim of the study is to extend the evidence-based approach we have developed for speed management (cognitive integration speed management training) to hazard management, thereby developing cognitive integration hazard management training for young drivers. Hence, this study is specifically designed to curb the alarming trend in young driver fatalities on Australian roads. The results of the research will provide clear direction to road authorities and driver training providers as to effective training strategies to improve young driver training, and ultimately improve road safety with this vulnerable population.Read moreRead less
A computational and experimental investigation into the organisation of letters in reading. In alphabetical languages, people need to learn to organise individual letters into groups so that they can read efficiently. This project will develop a model of this process, which will allow great insight into this key aspect of reading in terms of what the most efficient way of doing this is and what may go wrong and cause reading problems.
The basics of reading: How are letter-strings identified as words? In order for people to read effectively, the mental representation of each letter-string must be found in long-term memory. The aim of this project is to more fully understand the nature of proficient visual word recognition with a particular focus on the way in which the form of the word is mentally stored and retrieved during the act of reading. A range of issues will be examined from letter position coding through to how words ....The basics of reading: How are letter-strings identified as words? In order for people to read effectively, the mental representation of each letter-string must be found in long-term memory. The aim of this project is to more fully understand the nature of proficient visual word recognition with a particular focus on the way in which the form of the word is mentally stored and retrieved during the act of reading. A range of issues will be examined from letter position coding through to how words with a complex internal structure are processed, all framed within a unified model of word recognition. An understanding of the mechanisms underlying proficient adult reading is significant and beneficial in that it is expected to provide a framework for guiding both reading acquisition and reading improvement programs.Read moreRead less
Rapid decisions: from neuroscience to complex cognitions. A succession of rapid decisions supports our daily life - run or walk? Fish or steak? This project will integrate three different approaches to understanding these decisions, from neuroscience, mathematical psychology and experimental psychology. This research will provide insights about normal human functioning, and problems such as occur in healthy ageing.
The psychology of not wanting to know. This project aims to deliver insights into paradoxical decision-making behaviours of humans who pursue either useless information or deliberate ignorance. The project intends to shed new light on why these conflicting states of information preference exist by building on significant recent advances in understanding how reinforcement learning, anticipation and discounting combine to determine when people do and do not want to know. Intended benefits include ....The psychology of not wanting to know. This project aims to deliver insights into paradoxical decision-making behaviours of humans who pursue either useless information or deliberate ignorance. The project intends to shed new light on why these conflicting states of information preference exist by building on significant recent advances in understanding how reinforcement learning, anticipation and discounting combine to determine when people do and do not want to know. Intended benefits include maintaining and enhancing the excellent status of Australian psychological and cognitive science. The downstream benefits include elucidating the development of anxiety disorders and problem gambling.Read moreRead less
Evidence-accumulation models of external influences on decision-making. This project aims to apply the evidence-accumulation computational framework of decision-making to investigate how simple interventions affect our choices. It intends to use a suite of theory-driven experiments, state-of-the-art techniques for testing the robustness of empirical effects, and the powerful computational machinery inherent in evidence-accumulation models. Expected outcomes include providing a comprehensive char ....Evidence-accumulation models of external influences on decision-making. This project aims to apply the evidence-accumulation computational framework of decision-making to investigate how simple interventions affect our choices. It intends to use a suite of theory-driven experiments, state-of-the-art techniques for testing the robustness of empirical effects, and the powerful computational machinery inherent in evidence-accumulation models. Expected outcomes include providing a comprehensive characterisation of how, why and when simple external factors exert their influence on decision-making. Significant benefits include the enhancement of the world-class status of Australian cognitive and mathematical psychology.Read moreRead less