School of Psychological Science Seminar Series

Title: The Remembering and Forgetting of Complex Episodic Events

Abstract: Episodic events are thought to be represented in a coherent manner, allowing for the holistic retrieval of all event elements. The forgetting of events is also thought to be holistic – when we forget an event, we forget it in its entirety. I will present behavioural, computational modelling, and fMRI research that provides evidence that events are both retrieved and forgotten holistically, in both younger and older adults and in developmental populations. I will also present data suggesting this holistic retrieval is specific to events, and may not always apply to the forgetting of other representations – such as the forgetting of object representations. I will then discuss how complex events are retrieved over time and whether changes occur as a function of systems consolidation. I will use this body of research to provide a theoretical framework that makes predictions about the underlying neural mechanisms that support retrieval and forgetting across a hierarchy of representations: from low-level object representations, to event representations, to higher-order episodic narratives.

Location:  Lecture Theatre 3 (G86), Arts Complex, 17 Woodland Road

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: Screen Time: Untangling Myths, Evidence and Public Perceptions

Abstract: Public debate about screen time and the impact that it can have on us is often polarised, fuelled by scary headlines and conflicting scientific claims. In this talk, we will explore what the evidence actually tells us about the effects that digital technologies – such as video games, smartphones, and social media – have on mental wellbeing. Drawing on recent research and experiences communicating science in the media, I will highlight the challenges of separating (simple) myth from (messy, complex) data, and consider how psychologists and neuroscientists can be better supported to engage with the public to foster nuanced, evidence-based discussions about screen use.

Location:  TBC

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

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Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: How to Make Trump More/Less Likable: Manipulating Preferences, Choices, and Decision-Making with Visuo-Motor Inhibition  

Abstract: Visual cognition phenomena are typically revealed via the measurement of reaction time, accuracy rates, and thresholds for detection. However, the mechanisms that generate such phenomena may also influence choices and preferences. A number of experiments will be described showing how preference for items is influenced by the motor actions made immediately before a preference decision. Specifically, objects are preferred less if, in order to indicate a choice, the repetition of an action is required. A large range of preferences and choices can be influenced including those for artwork, faces, and even political candidates. Memory and simple perceptual decisions can also be influenced. Further experiments rule out the possibility that the phenomenon is driven by attentional, as opposed to motor, processes. Overall, these experiments show that everyday human decision-making can be nudged by requiring a person to make a simple movement before the decision is indicated. 

Location: TBC

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: The (Neuro-)Anatomy of Friendship 

Abstract: Friendships are a primate speciality, and have evolved to buffer us against the stresses of living in large social groups. They have a bigger effect on our psychological health and wellbeing, as well as our physical health and wellbeing, than anything else. Friendships are, however, extremely expensive to create and to maintain, both in terms of their time cost and in terms of their underpinning neurobiology. The basis of this lies in the dual process mechanism that allows primates to manage their relationships. One arm of this forms the Social Brain Hypothesis that sets a cognitive limit on the number of relationships we can have; the other is formed by the endorphin system and the way this is triggered by physical touch acting through the afferent C-tactile neural system. In this lecture, I’ll explore the behavioural, cognitive and neurobiological bases of friendships in comparative perspective, and show how we use these as a basis for forming communities. 

Location:  Priory Road Lecture Theatre, D Block Priory Road Complex

Time: 16:00 - 18:30 (drinks reception included)

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Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: Defensive Coloration and Behaviour

Abstract: Why do animals look and act as they do? One strong constraint on appearance and behaviour across the animal kingdom is the need to avoid being detected, identified and/or targeted. I will present data from several species, including humans, and try to tie them all together by characterising defensive coloration and behaviour in terms of signal-to-noise ratio.

Location: TBC

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: Exploring the rise in mental health problems among young people

Abstract: Over the past four decades, rates of emotional problems in adolescents have increased in many countries, and outcomes for those with mental health problems have worsened. In this talk, I will address what we know so far about the rise in youth mental health problems, including evidence from population-based studies, cross-country comparisons, and consideration of possible explanatory factors.

Location: Lecture Theatre 3 (G86), Arts Complex, 17 Woodland Road

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: Visual statistics from the laboratory to the real world

Abstract: We inhabit a world rich in visual information and complexity which presents a considerable challenge to the visual and cognitive system. One approach to understanding both the quantity of visual information and how the brain may cope with this is to consider the statistical regularities which are present in the visual environment. Natural scene statistics are quantities which can be computed from images, informed by the known tuning of the visual system. These quantities have been shown to predict psychophysical and behavioural responses to scenes, including perception, action and cognitive evaluations. In this talk I will present a summary of my research in this area, which has used colour as the primary testing ground. I will present work investigating the phenomenon of ensemble perception (the ability to extract a statistical summary of a set of items without encoding individual objects), the statistics of the “visual diet” and how it affects perception and cognition across environments and cultures, and in-progress projects exploring how image statistics may be implicated in sensory sensitivity, visual aesthetics, and the perception of the social conditions in our local neighbourhoods. I will discuss how these studies contribute to our understanding of visual processing, and explore the observation that while claims of the brain’s statistical sensitivity can be supported by studies in the laboratory, they may be undermined by data from the real world. 

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Time: 13:00 - 14:00

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Time: 13:00 - 14:00

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Time: 13:00 - 14:00