Research/Creative Interests

I am a Cognitive Psychologist who focuses on developing and implementing novel experimental research designs to investigate how humans learn, reason, and make decisions. For instance, is there a limit to the complexity of information that we can learn when we are not given feedback? And, how do learning and reasoning processes connect to patterns of eye-movements as measured via eye-tracking technology? Finally, I am also interested in extending the basic research findings to more applied domains and different populations, such as investigating cognitive deficits associated with concussion-related injury or how learning and reasoning processes may differ for neurodiverse populations (Autism, ADHD).

What types of “data” do you commonly use?

I typically collect and analyze quantitative data; however, I also collect and analyze qualitative data in the form of verbal responses given by participants. The quantitative data is collected as participants complete many trials in a cognitive psychology experiment, and involves recording variables such as object selections, error rates, and response times. When using the eye-tracking technology, we supplement the analyses with other variables related to how often participants look in an area (fixations) and how they move their eyes from area to area in a visual display (saccades).  The most typical data analysis that I conduct involves different types of analysis of variance, t-tests, linear and non-linear regression, correlation, and chi-square tests.

What types of collaborations are you open to?

I am open to collaborations with both students and faculty, and I welcome open discussion and dialogue to find common interests and projects that mutually benefit everyone. I am flexible and open to helping students develop their own research project in the area of Cognitive Psychology.

Student Qualifications

  • Curious and self-motivated Psychology or Neuroscience Majors interested in conducting Cognitive Psychology or Eye-tracking research
  • Curious and self-motivated students who want to obtain research experience and develop skills to prepare them for Graduate Programs in Psychology, Neuroscience, or in related fields
  • Curious and self-motivated students who are interested in engaging in a multi-year research project and want to present at Regional or National Psychology Conferences

Interested? Email me to set up a meeting.