Dr Debbora Hall

Summary

If we are to understand cognition, it is vitally important to understand how cognitive processes develop and how development differs between individuals. I am mainly interested in working memory (how we are able to remember things in the face of distraction along the way). Working memory is likely to be involved in academic achievement, and the link between working memory, reading, and maths performance forms the basis of our current work. I am also interested in how we can help educational psychologists and teachers use current research on working memory to inform their practice.

In addition to this, I have an interest in memory for non-verbal rhythmic patterns and how our ability to remember rhythm interacts with our language system to help us to learn and segment language.

Funding and awards

• 2003-2007: ESRC 1+3 competitive award.
• 2003: Gabbett Final Year Prize in Psychology, awarded by the University of Durham Psychology Department.
• 2001: John Norton Prize for excellence in preliminary examinations, awarded by St. Cuthbert’s Society, University of Durham.

Presentations

Hall, D., Jarrold, C., Towse, J., & Zarandi, A. (2012) The influence of speeded processing and forgetting on working memory and academic performance. Paper presented at the British Psychological Society Developmental Section Conference, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.

Hall, D., & Gathercole, S.E. (2012) Does working memory underpin memory for rhythm and phonological awareness in childhood? Poster presented at the Experimental Psychology Society Festschrift for Graham Hitch, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.

Hall, D., Zarandi, A., Jarrold, C., & Towse, J. (2011) The development of primary memory capacity. Paper presented at the Experimental Psychology Society Meeting, University College London, London, UK.

Hall, D., Jarrold, C., Towse, J., & Zarandi, A. (2011) The development of primary memory. Paper presented at the Parcevall Hall memory meeting, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK.

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2010) Rhythm, working memory, and phonological awareness in children. Poster presented at the Northern League Developmental Consortium, University of Northumbria, UK.

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2009) Rhythm, working memory, and phonological awareness in 5, 6 and 7 year olds. Poster presented at the British Psychological Society Developmental Section Conference, Nottingham, UK

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2009) Memory for rhythm and verbal serial recall. Poster presented at the British Psychological Society Cognitive Section Conference, University of Hertfordshire, UK.

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2006) Short-term memory for non-verbal rhythms: Effects of concurrent tasks and irrelevant sounds. Invited symposium paper presented at the International Conference on Memory (ICOM-4), Sydney, Australia

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2006) Memory for rhythm, short-term memory, and phonological awareness in 4 to 8 year olds. Poster presented at the European working memory symposium (EWOMS-3), Genova, Italy

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2006) Short-term memory for non-verbal rhythms: Effects of concurrent tasks and irrelevant sounds. Poster presented at the European Working Memory Symposium (EWOMS-3), Genova, Italy

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2005) Memory for Rhythm, Short Term Memory, and Phonological Awareness in Young Children. Paper presented at the British Psychological Society Developmental Section Conference, Edinburgh, UK

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2005) Memory for rhythm, short-term memory, and phonological awareness in young children. Poster presented at the British Psychological Society Quinquennial conference, Manchester, UK

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2005) Verbal Interference of Memory for Non-Verbal Rhythms. Paper presented at the British Psychological Society Cognitive Section Conference, Leeds, UK

Biography

I studied at the University of Durham as an undergraduate and master’s student, graduating with a BA in Psychology (2003) and an MA in Research Methods: Developmental Psychology (2005). My PhD began at Durham and moved to the University of York, and was completed in 2008 under the supervision of Professor Sue Gathercole. I explored the links between memory for rhythmic patterns, short-term memory, and phonological awareness in children aged between 4 and 8, and examined the effects of interference on memory for non-verbal rhythms in adults. I worked as a demonstrator at Newcastle University from 2008-2010, mainly teaching research methods, before moving to Bristol in January 2011 to begin work with Professor Chris Jarrold and Dr John Towse (Lancaster) on a project examining the development of working memory.

Expertise

My main interests are working memory and short-term memory, particularly the processes and strategies which support working memory performance. I am a strong believer in studying developmental populations and individual differences as an aid to understanding cognition. Additionally, I am interested in rhythm and language, and their links to short-term memory capacity in both adults and children. I am now working with Professor Chris Jarrold and Dr John Towse on a three year ESRC funded project looking at the development of working memory.

Memberships

Organisations

School of Experimental Psychology

Experimental Psychology staff

• Experimental Psychology research staff

Research themes

• Cognitive Processes

Research groups

• Developmental Group
• Memory Group

Recent publications

• Jarrold, C & Hall, D 2012, ‘Commentary: Theoretical and methodological challenges to the study of working memory in developmental disorders - a comment on Rhodes et al. (2012)’. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, vol 53., pp. 138-140
• Hall, D & E., GS 2011, ‘Serial recall of rhythms and verbal sequences: Impacts of concurrent tasks and irrelevant sound’. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, vol 64., pp. 1580 - 1592

View complete publications list in the University of Bristol publications system