I conduct cognitive neuroscience research on perception and attention. I want to understand how it is that we experience our very rich environment. The research questions that drive my work are focused on how perception and attention are influenced by previous experiences, concurrent experiences, and expectations, both within and across sensory experiences (visual, auditory, flavor and haptic). For a sampling of representative work, see the papers below.

METHODS
I currently employ various behavioral methods in my research, including psychophysics, eye tracking, and/or stereoscopic display (to induce, e.g., depth perception, binocular rivalry). In addition, I use EEG (electroencephalography) to record brain signals, analyzing ERPs and/or brain rhythms, and have recently begun employing pattern classification.

OPPORTUNITIES
During the academic year, students may enroll in PSYC/NEURO 198 or 298 for research experience. For 198, the time commitment is 3-4 hours/week (with some flexibility in the distribution of hours throughout the semester, though this should be determined at the outset). For 298, the time commitment is 6-8 hours/week, with the additional criterion that students present the project at the end of the semester (oral or written form, to be determined at the outset). Depending on the ongoing projects in the lab, students may conduct data collection (working on a project with me or a senior), help craft stimuli for an experiment (e.g., using photoshop or the 3D printer), conduct data analysis, among other research experiences. If you are interested, please contact me via email or make an appointment, preferably before the semester starts but no later than the first week of classes.

During the summer, students may participate in Hamilton’s summer science research opportunity in my lab. Notices about the opportunity are usually sent out in January, with applications due in February and decisions are made by April. Summer opportunities are usually 6-10 weeks of full-time work, with the precise dates and durations varying by year.

REPRESENTATIVE PAPERS

List, A., Iordanescu, L., Grabowecky, M., & Suzuki, S. (2014). Haptic guidance of overt visual attention. Attention, Perception & Psychophysics, 76, 2221-2228. doi: 10.3758/s13414-014-0696-1

List, A, Grabowecky, M., & Suzuki, S. (2013). Local and global level-priming occurs for hierarchical stimuli composed of outlined, but not filled-in, elements. Journal of Vision, 13(2), 23. doi: 10.1167/13.2.23

Bultitude, J., Rafal, R. D., & List, A. (2009). Prism adaptation reverses the local processing bias in patients with right temporo-parietal junction lesions. Brain, 132, 1669-1677. doi: 10.1093/brain/awp096

List, A., & Robertson, L. C. (2007). Inhibition of return and object-based attentional orienting. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 33, 1322-1334. doi: 10.1037/0096-1523.33.6.1322

List, A., Justus, T., Robertson, L. C., & Bentin, S. (2007). A mismatch negativity study of local-global auditory processing. Brain Research, 1153, 122-133. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2007.03.040

COLLABORATORS

Michael Esterman, VA Boston

Ayelet Landau, Hebrew University

Bill Prinzmetal, University of California, Berkeley

Sasha Sherman, Occidental College