Blinded by the load – electrophysiological and pupillometric indices of the interplay between non-spatial and spatial attention

We are continuously bombarded by a potentially overwhelming amount of information around us. However, our brains have limited processing resources and can only process a subset of this information at any one time. This means that our brains continuously need to make strategic choices as to where and on what to focus these limited processing resources. Selective attention is the cognitive process that allows us to do this. As such, selective attention is paramount for our safety and ability to function in everyday life. However, despite its importance to our everyday lives, many questions remain concerning the precise mechanisms underlying this ability as well as the individual and environmental factors that influence it. This project will generate a better understanding of selective attention by systematically investigating the interplay between non-spatial and spatial attention, using an approach that combines behavioural, electrophysiological, and pupillometric measures.

Supervisor's research interests

I am interested in selective attention, with a particular emphasis on the mechanisms and anatomy of selective attention in dynamic multi-target environments (such as traffic environments) that are characterised by high levels of stimulus competition across both visual fields. I completed a combined BSc/MSc in Psychology at the State University of Groningen in The Netherlands. In 2002, I relocated to the UK to do a PhD in Psychology at the University of Nottingham. This was followed by a 12-year stint at the University of Tuebingen in Germany, first as a postdoc and ultimately as a research group leader. In August 2017, I moved back to the UK to join the Division of Psychology at Brunel University London as a lecturer.

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