Can the Relational Account predict search in multiple-element displays? . This project provides evidence of a novel mechanism that guides visual attention. Our results confirm the existence of a mechanism that can rapidly and automatically assess the dominant feature(s) in a visual scene and radically change how attention is tuned to a target object. Moreover, this attention-guiding target template can change systematically as observers search through different items in visual search, possibly d ....Can the Relational Account predict search in multiple-element displays? . This project provides evidence of a novel mechanism that guides visual attention. Our results confirm the existence of a mechanism that can rapidly and automatically assess the dominant feature(s) in a visual scene and radically change how attention is tuned to a target object. Moreover, this attention-guiding target template can change systematically as observers search through different items in visual search, possibly due to a re-shaping and narrowing of the target template. These are both ground-breaking discoveries that have not been described before. Work on this project promises to lead to important theoretical breakthroughs, resolve current discrepancies in the literature and advance methods of Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience.Read moreRead less
Attention vs Perception: When is selection optimal, when relational? This project aims to investigate an important, newly discovered dissociation between early visual selection and perceptual decision-making. Contrary to current theories, attentional and perceptual processes are tuned to different stimulus attributes described in the relational vs. optimal account, which implies that current theories of attention do not describe early attention but later, decisional processes. This project will ....Attention vs Perception: When is selection optimal, when relational? This project aims to investigate an important, newly discovered dissociation between early visual selection and perceptual decision-making. Contrary to current theories, attentional and perceptual processes are tuned to different stimulus attributes described in the relational vs. optimal account, which implies that current theories of attention do not describe early attention but later, decisional processes. This project will provide an accurate description of these processes, which promises important theoretical breakthroughs. Work on this project will also significantly advance methods to detect and describe early attentional processes, by identifying error-prone methods of Psychophysics and Neuroscience studies, and proposing remedies.Read moreRead less
Goal pursuit decisions under environmental and social uncertainty. This project aims to develop an integrative computational model that explains how people prioritise the allocation of resources to different goals in the face of uncertainty. The project seeks to test a new theory through a series of experiments in which participants pursue goals by themselves in unpredictable environments, or in competition against an opponent. Expected outcomes include an integrated theory that accounts for the ....Goal pursuit decisions under environmental and social uncertainty. This project aims to develop an integrative computational model that explains how people prioritise the allocation of resources to different goals in the face of uncertainty. The project seeks to test a new theory through a series of experiments in which participants pursue goals by themselves in unpredictable environments, or in competition against an opponent. Expected outcomes include an integrated theory that accounts for the effects of both environmental and social uncertainty in the pursuit of multiple goals. Intended benefits include the development of computational models that can simulate human decision making in complex environments, analyse new concepts of operation, redesign work roles, and identify factors that reduce risk in decision-making.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100883
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$452,777.00
Summary
The cognitive science of farsighted deliberation. Many fundamental decisions in life require us to deliberate about sooner versus later consequences. This cognitive psychology project aims to determine how the capacities that enable people to think about the future (prospection) and reflect on their own thinking (metacognition) influence how they manage such decisions. By using innovative methods, this project is expected to advance our understanding of future-oriented cognition across the lifes ....The cognitive science of farsighted deliberation. Many fundamental decisions in life require us to deliberate about sooner versus later consequences. This cognitive psychology project aims to determine how the capacities that enable people to think about the future (prospection) and reflect on their own thinking (metacognition) influence how they manage such decisions. By using innovative methods, this project is expected to advance our understanding of future-oriented cognition across the lifespan. Expected outcomes include new knowledge about how people deliberate through important everyday decisions. This should provide significant benefits by laying the foundation for improving effective choices about the future.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101137
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,536.00
Summary
The whole is greater than its parts: Improving rail safety through teamwork. This project seeks to develop a train driving risk model that includes human factors, to enable rail organisations to better identify and mitigate safety risks. Train driving is a cognitively demanding task in which errors can quickly lead to catastrophic consequences. Signals passed at danger (SPADs) occur when a train goes past a red light. Despite significant investment in better signalling and communications infrast ....The whole is greater than its parts: Improving rail safety through teamwork. This project seeks to develop a train driving risk model that includes human factors, to enable rail organisations to better identify and mitigate safety risks. Train driving is a cognitively demanding task in which errors can quickly lead to catastrophic consequences. Signals passed at danger (SPADs) occur when a train goes past a red light. Despite significant investment in better signalling and communications infrastructure, SPAD rates remain unacceptably high and are projected to rise. SPAD risk is currently managed with a retrospective approach that fails to consider non-technical human factors such as time pressure, workload and team communications. By including non-technical dimensions, this project seeks to develop a comprehensive model to explain and prevent SPADs.Read moreRead less
Gaining control of the future: The cognitive development of foresight. Because humans can anticipate their limitations, they can act in the present to shape their future for the better.
This project aims to chart four key developmental processes by which children gain this control over their future
outcomes. It will use novel experimental paradigms to map children’s growing ability to compensate for their limits
with strategic planning, and to improve their future capacities by acquiring new kno ....Gaining control of the future: The cognitive development of foresight. Because humans can anticipate their limitations, they can act in the present to shape their future for the better.
This project aims to chart four key developmental processes by which children gain this control over their future
outcomes. It will use novel experimental paradigms to map children’s growing ability to compensate for their limits
with strategic planning, and to improve their future capacities by acquiring new knowledge and innovating
technical solutions. The cognitive underpinnings of these critical behaviours are still poorly understood. This
project will therefore provide the essential empirical foundation for fostering the development of wiser, more
skilled, and more innovative young people.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101130
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$426,770.00
Summary
Beyond Response Time and Choice: Understanding Changes of Mind in Decisions. The project aims to provide novel experimental insight into how people change their minds during decisions, through identifying the cognitive architecture that reflects the behaviour that we observe from people. The project is significant because it provides a substantially deeper understanding of the cognitive decision process and how it changes over time, as opposed to previous research focusing on only the final resp ....Beyond Response Time and Choice: Understanding Changes of Mind in Decisions. The project aims to provide novel experimental insight into how people change their minds during decisions, through identifying the cognitive architecture that reflects the behaviour that we observe from people. The project is significant because it provides a substantially deeper understanding of the cognitive decision process and how it changes over time, as opposed to previous research focusing on only the final response that people make. The expected outcome is a comprehensive understanding of the human decision process through cognitive models that provide an accurate reflection of this mental process. The benefit is an improved understanding of decisions, which are a fundamental part of everyday human life.Read moreRead less
Neural circuit control of effort under stress . This Project aims to investigate how the ‘decision’ to persist in exerting effort to obtain a reward is encoded in the the brain and affected by stress. This work will generate new knowledge on the neural mechanisms through which stress modifies neural activity to control decision making processes underpinning adaptive behaviours essential for survival. The expected outcomes of this work include enhanced capacity at the interface of behavioural a ....Neural circuit control of effort under stress . This Project aims to investigate how the ‘decision’ to persist in exerting effort to obtain a reward is encoded in the the brain and affected by stress. This work will generate new knowledge on the neural mechanisms through which stress modifies neural activity to control decision making processes underpinning adaptive behaviours essential for survival. The expected outcomes of this work include enhanced capacity at the interface of behavioural and computational neuroscience, that will in turn provide significant benefits through greater insight into brain functions essential for survival, with long ranging implications for performance optimisation and brain-inspired computing. Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes. This Centre aims to transform understanding of past and present climate extremes and revolutionise Australia’s capability to predict them into the future. Climate extremes cost Australia up to $4 billion a year and will intensify over coming decades. This Centre’s blue-sky research will discover processes that explain the behaviour of present and future climate extremes. It will use its researchers, data, modelling, collaboration, graduate programme ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes. This Centre aims to transform understanding of past and present climate extremes and revolutionise Australia’s capability to predict them into the future. Climate extremes cost Australia up to $4 billion a year and will intensify over coming decades. This Centre’s blue-sky research will discover processes that explain the behaviour of present and future climate extremes. It will use its researchers, data, modelling, collaboration, graduate programme and early career researcher mentoring to transform Australia’s capacity to predict climate extremes. This research is expected to make Australia more resilient to climate extremes and minimise risks from climate extremes to the Australian environment, society and economy.Read moreRead less