Dr Debbora Hall

Dr Debbora Hall
BA, MA(Dunelm), PhD(York)

Research Assistant

Area of research

The development of working memory

Office 3D3
12a Priory Road,
Clifton, Bristol BS8 1TU
(See a map)

Tel. +44 (0) 117 3317892
debbora.hall@bristol.ac.uk

Research 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 ...

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 ...

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