Sussex Attention Lab
Alumni
Dr Paloma Manguele
PhD Student (awarded 2021) and Post Doctoral Research Fellow
My research investigates the contents of mind wandering and spontaneous thoughts from a developmental perspective. I am particularly interested in decoding and predicting these thought-contents, both in children and adults, using objective measures such as fMRI, EEG/ERP and facial EMG. I also aim at establishing a valid methodological approach to assess spontaneous thoughts at early age populations, and investigating the relationships between thought-contents and mood. I have a background on psychological evaluation and intervention with young clinical populations, after a four-year internship at the Mozambican Centre for Psychological Rehabilitation for Children and Youth (CERPIJ). Since 2014, I am part of the faculty staff at the Department of Psychology of Eduardo Mondlane University, in Mozambique. I started my PhD studies in the Sussex Attention lab in 2017, before continuing as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the lab in 2021-2022.
Dr Jessica Lunn
PhD Student (awarded 2021)
My research is on multisensory attention. In particular, the extent to which a multisensory stimulus may capture attention more quickly than a unisensory one in perceptually demanding situations, and the effect of a multisensory task on attentional capture by other stimuli. I am also interested in how this may be applied to situations where reduced or enhanced attentional capture would be of benefit. I started my PhD at Sussex in 2016, since then I have been using behavioural and ERP paradigms to investigate multisensory attention, and am also in the process of setting up an fMRI study.
Dr Jenny Morris
PhD Student (awarded 2020)
My research involves cognitive psychology and behavioural methods to test the mechanisms of distraction induced over-eating. Specifically, when our attentional capacity is full, do we still notice food and how does this affect eating? This includes the effect of distraction on awareness of flavour, intake and satiety. I’m also interested in how individuals differ in these mechanisms. I started my PhD in Psychology at Sussex in 2016. I also studied for my Bsc in Psychology at Sussex and worked as a research assistant investigating how value influences intrusive thoughts.
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Dr Christopher Brown
PhD Student (awarded 2018)
My research focuses broadly upon distraction, and asks how do individuals get distracted by objects which are relevant to motivational outcomes? One general aim of my research is to determine whether models of mainstream attention can account for the involuntary attentional bias outlined in models of addiction and anxiety. I am also interested in the interplay between contextual cues and an individual's personal search goals (what they 'lookout' for), and the extent that these goals can actually cause distraction. In a second line of research have also explored whether some individual are predisposed to inattentional blindness (missing something in plain sight), and whether this constitutes a general personality trait that can be measured and used to predict other behaviour. Prior to my PhD at Sussex, which I began in 2014, I studied for my BSc and MSc at the University of Exeter. For my MSc dissertation I researched how response inhibition training could be conducted in order to reduce the consumption of high calorie foods.
Claudia Lawrence
RA Placement Student
I am currently in my third year undertaking a placement year as a Research Assistant in Sophie's lab as part of my Psychology BSc at the University of Sussex. I have developed a broad interest in cognitive psychology but specifically mind wandering and attention. Particularly, why we become distracted by our own thoughts moreover external stimuli and what processes are involved in this. I am hoping I will gain vital research experience and be able to find a specific focus for my interests throughout this placement.
Jack Watson
Research Apprentice
My research during my time with Dr. Forster's lab focused on mind-wandering and internal distraction, and asked whether people are more distracted by thoughts which are relevant to themselves. Traditionally speaking, attention research has focused on distraction effects by external events and stimuli; this work revealed the limited capacity and selection mechanisms of attention, but my investigation applied these principles to the domain of attention to thoughts. I started my Psychology with Cognitive Science BSc at the University of Sussex in 2015, and was lucky enough to be selected for an apprenticeship with Sophie's lab over the Summer of 2017, where I designed, programmed, and implemented a full experiment - the principles of which have now been applied to studies with much larger samples.
Benjamin Tribe
RA Placement Student
I am a Psychology BSc student at the University of Sussex, taking a placement year to work as a Research Assistant at the Sussex Attention Lab. I am seeking to develop my analytical skills, explore my interest in attention and attentional failure (and its broad applications), and identify specific research areas that I am inspired to pursue further.
Xiaoling Cui
MRes Intern
I’m interested in cognitive psychology. After I got a bachelor's degree in applied psychology in China, I started my MRes in psychology at Sussex in 2017. Since then I have been interning in the lab to study attention, distraction and mind wandering.
Liam Marley
MRes Intern
My research interests are based around mind wandering and multisensory attention, and how these may intersect with memory. After completing my BSc at the University of Hull, I started my MRes at the University of Sussex in 2017, and joined the attention lab as an intern. This internship gave me the opportunity to work with other lab members on several projects.
Tyler Cohen
RA Placement Student
I am Psychology and Neuroscience BSc student in my fourth year at Sussex undertaking a Research Assistant placement role in Sophie Forster’s lab. Through this placement I am seeking to develop my research skills specifically in attentional psychology along with neuroscience to see how the brain reacts to attentional tasks. With this experience I am hoping to further develop my interests in specific areas whilst conducting research.
Catherine Kaira Rubit
RA Placement Student
I am a BSc Psychology student undertaking a placement year as a Research Assistant at the Sussex Attention Lab. Cognitive psychology has always fascinated me, especially mind wandering and internal distraction, as I often wonder about how and why our thoughts distract us. I also hope to investigate attentional biases and failures in daily life and in the context of clinical conditions. Throughout this placement, I look forward to gaining worthwhile experience that relates to my interests.
Ainsley Mcnally
RA Placement Student
I am a Psychology BSc student at the University of Sussex, currently in my third year, taking a placement year as Research Assistant in the Attention Lab. I’ve grown an interest in cognitive psychology throughout my studies, particularly in the effects and mechanisms of internal distraction such as mind wandering and daydreaming. I’m hoping to develop my skills in data collection and analysis through getting practical experience of working in a lab throughout this placement.