The brain in real-time: predicting the present, reconstructing the past. This proposal aims to understand how the brain compensates for its own internal delays to function in real-time. Because it takes time for information from the senses to reach the brain, it takes time for us to become aware of an event that occurs in the outside world. This project will use an innovative combination of techniques to study how prediction and reconstruction mechanisms work together in the brain. Expected outc ....The brain in real-time: predicting the present, reconstructing the past. This proposal aims to understand how the brain compensates for its own internal delays to function in real-time. Because it takes time for information from the senses to reach the brain, it takes time for us to become aware of an event that occurs in the outside world. This project will use an innovative combination of techniques to study how prediction and reconstruction mechanisms work together in the brain. Expected outcomes of this project include a fundamental understanding of how we function in the present. This should provide significant benefits, such as an important theoretical advance in our understanding of how conscious awareness is realised in the brain, placing Australia at the cutting edge.Read moreRead less
From autobiographical memory to collective memory: An interdisciplinary study of individual and group cognition. Remembering our past is crucial to our identity and well-being, both as individuals and in groups. Investigating the role of social groups in memory, this project offers 4 benefits: (1) it builds Australia's capacity for high-level, innovative memory research; (2) it pioneers an interdisciplinary approach, genuinely integrating philosophy and psychology, to strengthen Australia's inte ....From autobiographical memory to collective memory: An interdisciplinary study of individual and group cognition. Remembering our past is crucial to our identity and well-being, both as individuals and in groups. Investigating the role of social groups in memory, this project offers 4 benefits: (1) it builds Australia's capacity for high-level, innovative memory research; (2) it pioneers an interdisciplinary approach, genuinely integrating philosophy and psychology, to strengthen Australia's international reputation in these fields; (3) it identifies social supports for healthy remembering, thus 'Promoting and Maintaining Good Health' ('Ageing well, ageing productively'); (4) it offers fresh, sophisticated ways to address public debates about the role of memory in productive, fulfilling lives, 'Strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric'.Read moreRead less
Determinants of Audio-Visual effects in degraded and non-degraded speech. Seeing a speaker's face can affect the perception of their speech in a number of ways. This project proposes a detailed comparison of factors that affect Audio-Visual (AV) facilitation of degraded speech detection and identification. Detection-based tasks should be more sensitive to signal based correlations whereas identification-based effects more sensitive to complementary information. The significance of the current pr ....Determinants of Audio-Visual effects in degraded and non-degraded speech. Seeing a speaker's face can affect the perception of their speech in a number of ways. This project proposes a detailed comparison of factors that affect Audio-Visual (AV) facilitation of degraded speech detection and identification. Detection-based tasks should be more sensitive to signal based correlations whereas identification-based effects more sensitive to complementary information. The significance of the current proposal is that it offers both a strategy and a connected series of experiments for determining key behavioural constraints on AV speech integration. Understanding AV interactions will build links between neurophysiological processes and coherent perception and have important implications for AV application.Read moreRead less
Language, belief formation and visual cognition: cognitive and neuropsychological investigations. I will direct a programme of research and research training in cognitive science and cognitive neuropsychology at macquarie universtiy, with international collaborative links to the USA, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Germany & New Zealand. This programme of research and research training will initially focus on
a)how people understand and produce language, and how these capabilities can break down ....Language, belief formation and visual cognition: cognitive and neuropsychological investigations. I will direct a programme of research and research training in cognitive science and cognitive neuropsychology at macquarie universtiy, with international collaborative links to the USA, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Germany & New Zealand. This programme of research and research training will initially focus on
a)how people understand and produce language, and how these capabilities can break down after brain damage;
b)The relationship between visual memory and reading; and
c)The nature of the delusions seen in schizophrenia and other disorders, and what causes these delusions.Read moreRead less
When should we stop trusting the senses? Perceptual decision making under ambiguity. When the input to the senses is ambiguous, our preconceptions often come to influence how we experience the world. This can lead to disagreement and often shows up as odd behaviour in different people. This project explores the mechanisms that determine how different people respond to ambiguity, and how much they then rely on their preconceptions.
Sexism in scientific and pseudo-scientific explanations of sex inequality: an empirical, ethical and educative approach. Neuroscientific explanations of sex inequality are scientifically premature, and lead to popular exaggerations that sustain inequality through self-fulfilling effects. This project will increase understanding of these harmful consequences, and bring about essential improvements in both the quality of scientific research, and public understanding.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0210995
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
The Creation of an Eye Movement Recording Facility in Queensland. There are countless uses for technology that records visual behaviour; these include reading and cognitive psychology research, ergonomic design, web site usability testing, and evaluation of visual information (for example advertising or in ?virtual? environments). As such, recording eye movements has applications in pure and applied research, and in teaching demonstrations for students.
This application proposes to purchase ey ....The Creation of an Eye Movement Recording Facility in Queensland. There are countless uses for technology that records visual behaviour; these include reading and cognitive psychology research, ergonomic design, web site usability testing, and evaluation of visual information (for example advertising or in ?virtual? environments). As such, recording eye movements has applications in pure and applied research, and in teaching demonstrations for students.
This application proposes to purchase eye movement recording equipment to form a dedicated and truly collaborative facility to measure visual behaviour. The facility would be unique in Australia and would be invaluable to both further understand visual/cognitive processes and how individuals interact with their environments.Read moreRead less
The impact of post-incident debriefing on psychological wellbeing and recall of events. First response emergency service personnel, such as fire fighters, police officers and paramedics provide an essential service, but as a result of their work are at increased risk of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In an attempt to protect against PTSD many personnel are required to attend group debriefings following exposure to traumatic events. However, there is evidence that these group d ....The impact of post-incident debriefing on psychological wellbeing and recall of events. First response emergency service personnel, such as fire fighters, police officers and paramedics provide an essential service, but as a result of their work are at increased risk of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In an attempt to protect against PTSD many personnel are required to attend group debriefings following exposure to traumatic events. However, there is evidence that these group debriefings may actually increase the risk of PTSD and also permanently distort the participants' memory for the events they witnessed. We will work with NSW Fire Brigade to develop an effective PTSD intervention for emergency service personnel which also preserves the integrity of the participants' memory for critical events.Read moreRead less
Improving eyewitness identification accuracy using free-report lineups. There is major national and community interest in the successful conduct of criminal investigations. This research addresses the accuracy of eyewitness identification tests. Specifically, we investigate whether developing lineup procedures that separate out witnesses who are unsure of their response will prevent erroneous identifications. Progress on this issue makes an important contribution to decisions about the ideal lin ....Improving eyewitness identification accuracy using free-report lineups. There is major national and community interest in the successful conduct of criminal investigations. This research addresses the accuracy of eyewitness identification tests. Specifically, we investigate whether developing lineup procedures that separate out witnesses who are unsure of their response will prevent erroneous identifications. Progress on this issue makes an important contribution to decisions about the ideal lineup procedure, thereby preventing innocent people from being prosecuted and perpetrators being free to re-offend. Additionally the international collaboration on the project will increase the visibility of Australian social science research and provide crucial development opportunities for young Australian scientists.Read moreRead less
Identifying the bad guy with deadlined confidence judgments. There is major interest in the successful conduct of criminal investigations. Identity tests are commonly used in such investigations, but eyewitness decision accuracy is still unacceptably low. While eyewitness memory research has already contributed significantly to the development of procedures that improve the diagnosticity of identification decisions, our proposal offers radical new alternatives that can significantly improve diag ....Identifying the bad guy with deadlined confidence judgments. There is major interest in the successful conduct of criminal investigations. Identity tests are commonly used in such investigations, but eyewitness decision accuracy is still unacceptably low. While eyewitness memory research has already contributed significantly to the development of procedures that improve the diagnosticity of identification decisions, our proposal offers radical new alternatives that can significantly improve diagnosticity. In refining and evaluating these alternatives we will boost the profile of Australian science research and provide rich international training environments for young Australian and overseas scientists.Read moreRead less