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Fri 13 Mar 16:30: Title to be confirmed PLEASE NOTE THIS TALK HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Other Psychology Seminars - Thu, 20/02/2020 - 14:39
Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

PLEASE NOTE THIS TALK HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

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Fri 21 Feb 16:30: Fragile Memories for Fleeting Percepts PLEASE NOTE THIS TALK HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Other Psychology Seminars - Tue, 18/02/2020 - 16:30
Fragile Memories for Fleeting Percepts

The Simultaneous Type/ Serial Token (STST) model of temporal attention and working memory (Bowman & Wyble, 2007) was published over 10 years ago as a theory of the attentional blink and associated phenomena. In the intervening period, the scope of the theory has grown, becoming a theory of the episodic nature of attention and perception (Wyble et al, 2011). Recently, we have also been considering the implications of the STST model for theories of conscious perception. If one interprets the neural network model that implements the STST theory literally, it makes two particular predictions for conscious experience: 1) that we can pre-consciously search our sensory environments for salient stimuli (type-information); and 2) that we cannot pre-consciously search our sensory environment on the basis of episodic information (token-information). The latter of these fits well with theories of conscious perception based upon event individuation (Kanwisher, 2001). Using rapid serial visual presentation, I will report a series of EEG (Bowman et al, 2014) and behavioural (Aviles et al, 2020) experiments that provide evidence in support of these two predictions. These experiments focus on the fragility, even absence, of memory for fleetingly presented stimuli. We argue that these findings provide support for a theory we call the tokenised percept hypothesis. Avilés, A., Bowman, H., & Wyble, B. (2020). On the limits of evidence accumulation of the preconscious percept. Cognition, 195, 104080. Bowman, H., & Wyble, B. (2007). The simultaneous type, serial token model of temporal attention and working memory. Psychological review, 114(1), 38. Bowman, H., Filetti, M., Alsufyani, A., Janssen, D., & Su, L. (2014). Countering countermeasures: detecting identity lies by detecting conscious breakthrough. PloS one, 9(3). Kanwisher, N. (2001). Neural events and perceptual awareness. Cognition, 79(1-2), 89-113. Wyble, B., Potter, M. C., Bowman, H., & Nieuwenstein, M. (2011). Attentional episodes in visual perception. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 140(3), 488.

Howard Bowman is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in Psychology at the University of Birmingham and Professor of Cognition and Logic in Computing at the University of Kent. He also holds a visiting position at the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL . For the first half of his career, he worked in theoretical computer science; specific contributions were on decision procedures for temporal logics and process calculi in concurrency theory. More recently, he has worked in cognitive neuroscience, with particular focus on theories of temporal attention (e.g. the Simultaneous Type/ Serial Token model) and the role of oscillations in episodic memory formation (e.g. the Synch/deSynch model). He also has interests in methods development for neuroimaging, e.g. problems of small samples, and over-fitting of hyper-parameters in machine learning and region of interest selection. Finally, he is currently commercialising his EEG findings in a forensics context with the company vision metric and funding from Innovate UK.

PLEASE NOTE THIS TALK HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

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Fri 07 Feb 16:30: Visuospatial working memory as a fundamental component of the eye movement system.

Other Psychology Seminars - Tue, 04/02/2020 - 14:58
Visuospatial working memory as a fundamental component of the eye movement system.

Humans make frequent movements of the eyes (saccades) to explore the visual environment. In this talk, I will argue that visuospatial working memory (VSWM) is a fundamental component of the eye movement system. Memory representations in VSWM are functionally integrated at all stages of orienting: (a) selection of the target; (b) maintenance of visual features across the saccade; (c) the computation of object correspondence after the saccade, supporting the experience of perceptual continuity; and (d) the correction of gaze when the eyes fail to land on the intended object. VSWM is finely tuned to meet the challenges of active vision.

Stefan van der Stigchel is a professor in Cognitive Psychology at Utrecht University and head of the research group Attentionlab. The group’s aim is to study how attention and visual awareness shape the perception of the world around us. Stefan is a member of the Young Academy of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and author of a recent popular science book ‘How attention works’ published by MIT Press.

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Wed 11 Mar 16:00: A zero-item personality test? Predicting personality traits from social media data

Other Psychology Seminars - Wed, 22/01/2020 - 16:10
A zero-item personality test? Predicting personality traits from social media data

Many researchers, including myself (e.g. Kosinski, Graepel & Stillwell, 2013), have published papers showing that psychological traits like personality and intelligence can be predicted from the digital footprints people leave behind when they use online services like social media. But are these predictions psychometrically reliable, valid, and unbiased? The Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal clearly demonstrates that the public is uneasy when they feel their data was misused, but on the other hand the public also likes their data to be used to personalise recommendations and services. Ultimately, should this technology be used in practice, and if so under what conditions?

Dr. David Stillwell is Lecturer in Big Data Analytics and Quantitative Social Science at Judge Business School in the University of Cambridge. He is also Academic Director of the Psychometrics Centre. David studies the links between big data and psychology; his research with 6 million social media users found that the computer can predict a user’s personality as accurately as their spouse can. Follow up research found that personalizing an advert to the recipient’s psychology is more effective than generic ads. David has also published research using various big data sources to show that spending money on products and services that match one’s personality leads to greater life satisfaction, that people tend to date others who have a similar personality, and that people who swear seem to be more honest.

Twitter: @david_stillwell

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Wed 29 Jan 16:00: Tribalism in War and Peace: The nature and evolution of ideological epistemology and its significance for modern social science

Other Psychology Seminars - Tue, 21/01/2020 - 14:26
Tribalism in War and Peace: The nature and evolution of ideological epistemology and its significance for modern social science

Because of a long history of intergroup conflict, humans evolved to be tribal. These tribal tendencies can lead individuals to sacrifice sound reasoning and judgmental accuracy in order to conform to and defend the views of their ingroup. Political tribes are one of the most salient forms of modern tribal identity, and so politics likely triggers these tribal tendencies, leading to ideologically distorted information processing. My work has shown that these ideological biases exist in similar degrees in liberals and conservatives, but certain sacred concerns can lead to stronger biases in one group than in the other. Liberals have sacred concerns about traditionally conceived disadvantaged groups, and thus liberals are more biased than conservatives when evaluating information with significance to such groups. And because social scientists are overwhelmingly liberal, these sacred concerns may have biased and may continue to bias the conclusions drawn by social scientists.

Cory Clark received her PhD in Social Psychology from University of California, Irvine in 2014, and she is currently an Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at Durham University. She has two main programs of research, examining (1) how punitive desires shape beliefs about human agency and moral responsibility, and (2) how political biases influence evaluations of science. She also co-hosts a podcast, Psyphilopod, which covers psychology, philosophy, politics, and academic culture.

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Wed 12 Feb 16:00: Feeling good, doing good: The potential of positive self-directed emotions to motivate prosociality

Other Psychology Seminars - Fri, 17/01/2020 - 18:03
Feeling good, doing good: The potential of positive self-directed emotions to motivate prosociality

Faced with global challenges, such as environmental degradation, social inequality, and discrimination against marginalized societal groups, identifying strategies to promote concern for the well-being of others and to encourage prosocial action is of high relevance. Caring about others and acting prosocially, however, takes up emotional and cognitive resources of which humans only have a limited amount. In this research I suggest that addressing the fundamental human need of establishing and maintaining a positive self-image may free up resources to engage in prosociality. I explore the potential of positive self-directed emotions in a suite of studies across two cultural contexts, the United States and Nigeria, looking at pro-environmental decision making, charitable giving and volunteering, as well as discrimination against marginalized societal groups.

Dr. Claudia R. Schneider received her PhD in Psychology from Columbia University, where she worked at the Centre for Research on Environmental Decisions, the Earth Institute. As an Ivy League Exchange Scholar she furthermore held a graduate research position at Princeton University. She currently works as a Research Associate at the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication and the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Laboratory, University of Cambridge. Her research explores avenues to address society-level social issues, such as climate change mitigation, intergroup conflict, and the balanced and transparent communication of evidence.

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Wed 11 Mar 16:00: A zero-item personality test? Predicting personality traits from social media data

Other Psychology Seminars - Fri, 17/01/2020 - 18:01
A zero-item personality test? Predicting personality traits from social media data

Many researchers, including myself (e.g. Kosinski, Graepel & Stillwell, 2013), have published papers showing that psychological traits like personality and intelligence can be predicted from the digital footprints people leave behind when they use online services like social media. But are these predictions psychometrically reliable, valid, and unbiased? The Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal clearly demonstrates that the public is uneasy when they feel their data was misused, but on the other hand the public also likes their data to be used to personalise recommendations and services. Ultimately, should this technology be used in practice, and if so under what conditions?

Dr. David Stillwell is Lecturer in Big Data Analytics and Quantitative Social Science at Judge Business School in the University of Cambridge. He is also Academic Director of the Psychometrics Centre. David studies the links between big data and psychology; his research with 6 million social media users found that the computer can predict a user’s personality as accurately as their spouse can. Follow up research found that personalizing an advert to the recipient’s psychology is more effective than generic ads. David has also published research using various big data sources to show that spending money on products and services that match one’s personality leads to greater life satisfaction, that people tend to date others who have a similar personality, and that people who swear seem to be more honest.

Twitter: @david_stillwell

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Mon 10 Feb 14:00: How to write good papers

Other Psychology Seminars - Thu, 16/01/2020 - 14:45
How to write good papers

Abstract not available

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Mon 03 Feb 14:00: How to make good scientific figures

Other Psychology Seminars - Thu, 16/01/2020 - 14:45
How to make good scientific figures

Abstract not available

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Mon 27 Jan 14:00: Intelligence and the frontal lobes

Other Psychology Seminars - Thu, 16/01/2020 - 14:44
Intelligence and the frontal lobes

Abstract not available

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Mon 20 Jan 14:00: Connecting behavioural and neural levels of analysis

Other Psychology Seminars - Thu, 16/01/2020 - 14:43
Connecting behavioural and neural levels of analysis

Abstract not available

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Mon 09 Mar 14:00: Signal Detection Theory: What it is and why you need it (Please bring a calculator)

Other Psychology Seminars - Thu, 16/01/2020 - 14:43
Signal Detection Theory: What it is and why you need it (Please bring a calculator)

Abstract not available

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Mon 02 Mar 14:00: Using a convergence of clinical and cognitive neuroscience methods: The case study of semantic cognition

Other Psychology Seminars - Thu, 16/01/2020 - 14:42
Using a convergence of clinical and cognitive neuroscience methods: The case study of semantic cognition

Abstract not available

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Mon 24 Feb 14:00: Computational Psychiatry of Autism

Other Psychology Seminars - Thu, 16/01/2020 - 14:42
Computational Psychiatry of Autism

Abstract not available

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Mon 17 Feb 14:00: Consciousness

Other Psychology Seminars - Thu, 16/01/2020 - 14:41
Consciousness

Abstract not available

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Wed 12 Feb 15:00: Feeling good, doing good: The potential of positive self-directed emotions to motivate prosociality

Other Psychology Seminars - Wed, 15/01/2020 - 15:19
Feeling good, doing good: The potential of positive self-directed emotions to motivate prosociality

Faced with global challenges, such as environmental degradation, social inequality, and discrimination against marginalized societal groups, identifying strategies to promote concern for the well-being of others and to encourage prosocial action is of high relevance. Caring about others and acting prosocially, however, takes up emotional and cognitive resources of which humans only have a limited amount. In this research I suggest that addressing the fundamental human need of establishing and maintaining a positive self-image may free up resources to engage in prosociality. I explore the potential of positive self-directed emotions in a suite of studies across two cultural contexts, the United States and Nigeria, looking at pro-environmental decision making, charitable giving and volunteering, as well as discrimination against marginalized societal groups.

Dr. Claudia R. Schneider received her PhD in Psychology from Columbia University, where she worked at the Centre for Research on Environmental Decisions, the Earth Institute. As an Ivy League Exchange Scholar she furthermore held a graduate research position at Princeton University. She currently works as a Research Associate at the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication and the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Laboratory, University of Cambridge. Her research explores avenues to address society-level social issues, such as climate change mitigation, intergroup conflict, and the balanced and transparent communication of evidence.

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Wed 15 Jan 15:00: Neurocomputational basis of social learning and decision-making

Other Psychology Seminars - Mon, 13/01/2020 - 16:05
Neurocomputational basis of social learning and decision-making

The question of whether humans are fundamentally selfish or prosocial has intrigued many disciplines from philosophy to economics for centuries. From small acts of kindness to major sacrifices, just how willing are humans to help others?

Here I will describe a set of studies using computational models of effort-based decision-making and reinforcement learning, in combination with functional neuroimaging, to understand how willing people are to put in effort to help others (prosocial motivation) and how people are able to learn which of their actions help others (prosocial learning). I will then discuss how basic associative learning processes might underlie our tendency to be biased towards self rather than other-related information in terms of ownership.

I will show that in general, people care more about their own outcomes than others, but that there are substantial individual differences that are linked to specific brain areas. Moreover, I will discuss how healthy ageing could be associated with changes in prosociality and therefore the importance of considering prosocial behaviour from a lifespan perspective. Overall, these findings could have important implications for understanding everyday social learning and decision-making and its disruption in disorders of social behaviour such as psychopathy.

Dr. Patricia Lockwood is an MRC Fellow, Junior Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Oxford and is staring as a Senior Research Fellow/Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham from summer 2020. Patricia completed her BSc in Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Bristol and her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at University College London. Her research investigates social learning and decision-making across the lifespan and in neurological and psychiatric disorders. She has won several awards for her work including the European Society for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Young Scientist Award, the Association for Psychological Science Rising Star Award and the Frith Prize for exceptional PhD contributions.

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Fri 17 Jan 12:00: Sensitive periods of social brain development in adolescence PLEASE NOTE: THIS TALK WILL TAKE PLACE AT 12.00PM. THERE WILL BE NO ZANGWILL TEA THIS WEEK

Other Psychology Seminars - Mon, 13/01/2020 - 14:04
Sensitive periods of social brain development in adolescence

Abstract Adolescence is a period of life often characterised by behaviours that appear irrational, such as seemingly excessive risk-taking and impulsivity. However, these behaviours can be interpreted as adaptive and rational if one considers that a key developmental goal of this period of life is to mature into an independent adult in the context of a social world that is unstable and changing. In the past 20 years, neuroscience research has shown that the human brain develops both structurally and functionally during adolescence. Areas of the social brain undergo significant reorganisation during the second decade of life, which might reflect a sensitive period for adapting to the social environment.

Biography Sarah-Jayne Blakemore is Professor of Psychology at the University of Cambridge and leads the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Group. Her group’s research focuses on the development of social cognition and decision making in the human adolescent brain, and adolescent mental health.

Professor Blakemore studied Experimental Psychology at Oxford University (1993-1996) and then did her PhD (1996-2000) at the UCL Functional Imaging Lab with Professors Chris Frith and Daniel Wolpert. She then took up a Wellcome Trust International Research Fellowship (2001-2003) to work in Lyon, France. This was followed by a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship (2004-2007) and a Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2007-2016) at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. She was a Group Leader at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience until 2019, when she took up a Chair in Psychology at Cambridge.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS TALK WILL TAKE PLACE AT 12.00PM. THERE WILL BE NO ZANGWILL TEA THIS WEEK

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Wed 15 Jan 15:00: Neurocomputational basis of social learning and decision-making

Other Psychology Seminars - Mon, 13/01/2020 - 11:50
Neurocomputational basis of social learning and decision-making

The question of whether humans are fundamentally selfish or prosocial has intrigued many disciplines from philosophy to economics for centuries. From small acts of kindness to major sacrifices, just how willing are humans to help others?

Here I will describe a set of studies using computational models of effort-based decision-making and reinforcement learning, in combination with functional neuroimaging, to understand how willing people are to put in effort to help others (prosocial motivation) and how people are able to learn which of their actions help others (prosocial learning). I will then discuss how basic associative learning processes might underlie our tendency to be biased towards self rather than other-related information in terms of ownership.

I will show that in general, people care more about their own outcomes than others, but that there are substantial individual differences that are linked to specific brain areas. Moreover, I will discuss how healthy ageing could be associated with changes in prosociality and therefore the importance of considering prosocial behaviour from a lifespan perspective. Overall, these findings could have important implications for understanding everyday social learning and decision-making and its disruption in disorders of social behaviour such as psychopathy.

Dr. Patricia Lockwood is an MRC Fellow, Junior Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Oxford and is staring as a Senior Research Fellow/Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham from summer 2020. Patricia completed her BSc in Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Bristol and her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at University College London. Her research investigates social learning and decision-making across the lifespan and in neurological and psychiatric disorders. She has won several awards for her work including the European Society for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Young Scientist Award, the Association for Psychological Science Rising Star Award and the Frith Prize for exceptional PhD contributions.

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Fri 14 Feb 12:00: Modern Outrage and the Perversion of Punishment PLEASE NOTE: THIS TALK WILL TAKE PLACE AT 12.00PM

Other Psychology Seminars - Mon, 13/01/2020 - 09:48
Modern Outrage and the Perversion of Punishment

Abstract: Punishment of wrongdoing is a hallmark of human moral psychology. Humans are willing to punish moral transgressions even when they are personally unaffected, often at great personal cost. Recent work in neuroeconomics has begun to characterize the neurobiology of moralistic punishment behavior and its affective precursors such as moral outrage. This work indicates that moral outrage and punishment engage the brain’s reinforcement learning circuitry, which in turn suggests that moralistic punishment is susceptible to habitization. If this is the case, then expressions of moral values through punishment may sometimes be involuntary and vulnerable to external control (e.g., via social media algorithms that prioritize user engagement). I will provide preliminary evidence for this possibility with analyses of moral outrage expressions in millions of social media posts. I will argue that new technologies may be altering moral outrage and punishment such that the ultimate function of punishment—the enforcement of social cooperation—is being perverted, with potentially troubling implications for democratic public discourse.

Dr Molly Crockett is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Yale University and a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Neuroethics. Prior to joining Yale, Dr Crockett was a University Lecturer at the University of Oxford’s Department of Experimental Psychology and a Fellow of Jesus College. She holds a BSc in Neuroscience from UCLA and completed a PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Cambridge as a Gates Scholar, and was a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow, working with economists and neuroscientists at the University of Zürich and University College London.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS TALK WILL TAKE PLACE AT 12.00PM

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