Research in the VAMP lab encompasses many different aspects of human cognition, with a particular focus on visual attention, human memory, human perception, goal-directed behavior, and the interactions between these cognitive systems. The lab employs a variety of different paradigms (ranging from basic paradigms such as attentional cuing and visual search to more complex real-world paradigms) and equipment (including an Eyelink 1000 eyetracker, an Eyelink 2 eyetracker, two portable eyetracking units, HTC Vive with eyetracking capabilities, Oculus Rifts, and touch screens) in investigating issues related to cognition. Our equipment/facilities can be viewed from the facilities link above. Below are a number of projects that are either ongoing, in the planning stages, or recently completed in the lab.
Vision/Eye movement studies
- Eye movement behavior relating to task set and task switching
- Task-switching in the absence of pre-task cues
- Using eye movement metrics to obtain an objective measure of mind wandering
- Examining depth perception and it's impact on eye movements in virtual reality
- Eye movements, emotion processing, and ambiguity
- Oculomotor behavior in novice and expert programmers
- Oculomotor classifiers of task set
- Eye movements and their relationship to consumer behavior
- Eye movement control (antisaccades) in video game and non video game players
- Attention and eye movements to arachnids and their relation to phobia
- Eye movement preferences related to safety in a variety of domains (primarily construction safety)
- Eye movements, cognition, and traumatic brain injury
- Influence of joint search on eye movements
- Oculomotor behavior and scientific figure processing
-Impact of individual differences on eye movement processing
- Relationship between eye movements and various memory systems/types (working memory, false memory, eyewitness memory, other race effect)
- Influence of policital temperament on eye movements and other cognitive processes
- Relationshp between gaze behavior and stress
- Visual behavior and sensitivity to threat
- Eye movements relating to objectification and alcohol administration
- Eye movements and implicit learning during visual search
Attention studies
- Various examinations of the influence task irrelevant but overlearned stimuli on attention
- Various examinations of the influence of individual differences on cognitive performance
- Factors influencing the attentional SNARC effect
- Influence of dynamic change in visual search
- Multiple object tracking, visual search, and the pop-out effect
- Inhibition of return in various contexts
- Relationship between attention and oculomotor control
- Influence of training and experience on attentional processes
- Relationship between attention and memory systems
- How environment factors (e.g. clutter) impact various cognitive processes
- Impact of short form media consumption on attention and related cognitive processes
- How classic visual attention effects (e.g. flanker effect, inhibition of return, Ternus illusion) are impacted by VR
Memory studies
- Interactions between working memory, attention, endogenous cues, and cue-target compatibility (in collaboration with graduate student Gerald McDonnell)
- Inhibition based models of memory error
- Influence of motor behavior on visuospatial memory
- Eye movement behavior and memory for foveated objects
- Influence of behavioral cues on memory and metacognition
- In-group and outgroup effects on memory, attention, and oculomotor behavior
- EEG related investigations of various memory processes (working memory updating, change detection)
- Influence of gaming manipulations on memory performance
Perception studies
- An examination of various manipulations on motion-based illusions (Bicycle illusion, Motion-based contours)
- An examination of factors influencing the Ternus illusion
- Factors influencing the perception of variability
- Visual biases impacting applied tasks
- Object-based warping
- Influence of music (major vs. minor notes) on the processing of ambiguous stimuli