University of Strathclyde School of Psychological Sciences and Health
RESEARCH
Our research focuses on face perception (person identification, in policing, at border control), and how we perceive the world around us (perception, selective attention, distractibility, ADHD).
We have a dedicated testing lab which is located within the University of Strathclyde School of Psychological Sciences and Health. Our facilities include multiple testing PCs, state-of-the art eye-tracking stations and access to EEG equipment for the measurement of task related changes in brain electrophysiology
IDENTITY RECOGNITION
Our ability to recognise new instances of people that we are familiar with is an almost effortless and highly accurate process. In contrast, our ability to recognise new instances of people we are unfamiliar with is a challenging task, and one which is highly prone to error. Despite this we rely on face photo-ID for person verification at Border Control (matching a passport photo to a travellers face), in Policing (matching a suspect's face to CCTV images) and in Retail (matching a customer's face to age appropriate ID). In each of these situations, the observer is unfamiliar with the people whose identity they are attempting to verify. In our lab we research individual differences in unfamiliar face recognition (e.g. super-recognisers), and ways in which me might improve this process. We collaborate with several other UK based research groups, and we provide consultancy expertise for UK based private companies.
SELECTIVE ATTENTION
Throughout the course of the day, we are constantly bombarded by incoming sensory information. One line of research that we pursue relates to the brain's ability to filter task relevant information from task irrelevant noise. Some of our work utilises the framework set out by the well-established Load Theory of Selective Attention and Cognitive Control (Lavie, 1995), which allows us to investigate when, and what type of information will be perceived, both in neurotypical individuals and in clinical groups (e.g. those with ADHD and Autism).
