Researcher: Timothy Vickery
Lab: Visual Cognitive Neuroscience, Prof. Marvin Chun
Description of Research: The problem of recovering the meaning of our visual environment from the light that hits the eye is extraordinarily complex, and yet humans do it with ease. We study the fundamental processes of the visual system that recognize structure, such as which regions comprise objects or groups of objects. What are the rules that the brain uses to determine whether something is an object? Does recognizing an object have a "ripple" effect on the visual system, changing our perception of structure elsewhere in a scene? We address these questions by studying visual illusions and behavioral responses to different sorts of visual scenes. We uncover clues about visual representation by examine how manipulating visual inputs alters behavior in an experiment.
Duties: Conducting computer-based research studies in the lab. Primary responsibilities will be to recruit participants and collect data. Depending on availability and interest, research assistants will also be trained to design and program new experiments, analyze data, and understand studies in the context of background readings.
Requirements: interest in cognition and perception, an ability to interact with study participants, and strong organizational skills. Coursework in psychology, statistics, neuroscience, and/or computer science is preferable, but not required. Computer programming experience is is valued but not a requirement.
Hours: 6 or more hours per week; schedule is flexible
Compensation: Directed Research course credit or volunteer.
Contact: Timothy Vickery, timothy.vickery@yale.edu
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