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Ignoring IÕm interested in how we actively ignore aspects of the environment.
Most of the time we think about ignoring as the by-product of attention. If I
attend to this webpage, then I am, by default, ignoring the rest of my
computerÕs desktop. On the other hand, if I know that an annoying pop-up
window will appear, IÕ ll want to ignore that even
if the focus of my attention changes. Similarly, if I know my friend has not
got off the train yet, I can choose to ignore all the people already at the
station and wait for new arrivals. I can choose to do this, even if I am not
sure what my friend will be wearing. IÕve combined various methods – psychophysics, cognitive
reaction time studies, fMRI and computational modeling – to unpack
which parts of this active ignoring are shared with other processes (e.g.
segmentation) and which are unique (e.g. suppression). The ability to ignore distractions changes with age. Perhaps this
makes us more aware of our surroundings or open to new experiences, but it
also makes it more difficult to stay focused on one place or task. IÕm
investigating the perceptual and neural effects of age on ignoring. IÕve
found that some older adults are able to maintain the ability to ignore
distractions but use a different set of brain regions, compared to young
people, to do so. Motion Processing and Driving My PhD compared different models of the motion
processing network and I have maintained an interest in motion
processing ever since. More recently I have investigated how the neural
mechanisms of motion processing are affected by distracting attention away
from motion. IÕve also investigated how older adults process braking or
deceleration (leading to a collaboration with the Transport Research
Laboratory). Distorted attention The things that attract our attention change with our priorities. IÕm
involved with several projects investigating the role of distorted attentional priorities. For example, do people who have
to control their food intake (due to obesity or Diabetes) react differently
when they look at food. In another project IÕm
investigating whether manipulating clay during therapy changes how people are
able to ignore distracting or emotionally difficult thoughts. |
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