Psychology @ NUS

Dr. Camilo Libedinsky joined our department in January 2015. He obtained his B.Sc. in Biology from University of Chile in 2002, and his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard Medical School in 2009, working with Margaret Livingstone in the neural mechanisms of conscious visual perception in humans and non-human primates. He then moved to Singapore, where he did 2 postdoctoral fellowships: one at Duke-NUS with Michael Chee, studying the neural basis of economic decision making in humans, and one in A*STAR, where he studied the neural basis of working memory and attention in non-human primates. He also participated in collaborations with engineers and clinicians to develop brain-machine interfaces.

Camilo’s research is broadly divided in 2 aims; (1) understanding cognitive phenomena, such as perception, attention and memory at the systems neural network level and behavioral level, and (2) developing neurotechnologies, such as brain-machine interfaces, to aid patients with nerve tissue damage or malfunction. He uses multi-electrode arrays chronically implanted in awake-behaving primates to record and stimulate the brain, and behavioral measurements in humans to address those aims.

Speaker: Dr. Suzy Syles

Title: “Linking language to sensation: How learning language shapes how we see, taste and feel“

Date: 23 January, 1-2pm 

Venue: AS4/02-08 (Psychology Department Meeting Room)

Abstract:

Studies since the 1920s have shown that people prefer to match certain kinds of shapes to certain kinds of words (sometimes known as the bouba/kiki effect, Ramachandran & Hubbard, 2001). This effect has been shown in non-English speaking and non-literate populations (Bremner et al 2013), in pre-literate children (Maurer, Pathman & Mondloch, 2006), and in pre-verbal infants (Ozturk, 2013). Many commentators conclude that these effects are universal: natural patterns of neural connectivity between cortical sensory areas. However, English speech sounds dominate these studies, and most have been poorly controlled for the acoustics they investigate. This talk introduces a number of experiments where the acoustics of speech are systematically investigated, across a number of sensory domains. To investigate the ‘universality’ of these patterns, speakers with different language backgrounds are compared, and implications discussed in light of known patterns of language-specific perceptual adaptation.

About the Speaker:

Dr Styles specialised in Linguistics and Asian Studies at the Australian National University, before taking up doctoral training in psycholinguistics at the University of Oxford. She investigated early lexicon development using eye-gaze monitoring and EEG techniques at the Oxford University BabyLab. She joined NTU in August 2013 as a Nanyang Assistant Professor in Psychology. Her current research investigates how different sensory systems combine in the acquisition of language, and how this influences life-long cognition and perception.

Speaker: A/P Stuart Derbyshire

Title: “The Proposed Human Biomedical Research Bill: A Looming Crisis For Research In Singapore“

Date: 16 January, 1-2pm 

Venue: AS4/02-08 (Psychology Department Meeting Room)

Abstract:

The Nuremberg code, a response to the 1946 Nuremberg Medical Trials, was the first attempt to formally state ethical requirements for medical research. The Code was generally ignored as a response to the peculiarly barbaric Nazi atrocities and an unnecessary fetter on normal research. A series of research scandals, however, led to more successful attempts at regulating medical research and to the introduction of various ethical committees during the 1970s. Since then, ethical committees have expanded their remit to regulate social as well as medical research and operate according to precautionary standards that far exceed what is necessary to protect public safety. The recently proposed Human Biomedical Research Bill will add a severely punitive framework to enforce regulatory compliance. The rationale for such a framework is uncertain but the outcomes are predictable: Researchers will practice defensive research and work according to the principle of covering their backs. Deficient research designs, avoidance of difficult populations such as children and the disabled, and safe, boilerplate, boring student research projects are the inevitable consequences of a defensive research environment. 

About the Speaker:

Stuart is an A/P at NUS Psychology and currently serves on the British Pregnancy Advisory Service Research Ethics committee as well as the Psychology Department Ethics committee (DERC). Previously he has chaired the University of Birmingham Psychology Ethics committee and was a founding member of the central UoB Research Ethics committee (despite leading the charge not to cooperate with it). He has also written and lectured extensively (generally in a hostile manner) on research ethics.

Speaker: Prof Mark P. Jensen

Title: “Publishing Your Research Findings: Strategies for Success”

Date: 11 December 2014, 12-1pm

Venue: AS4/02-08 (Psychology Department Meeting Room)

Abstract:

Dissemination of research findings is a central goal of successful researchers.  In order for their research findings to reach the largest audiences, and have the most influence on the field, researchers often seek to publish their findings in journals with high impact factors.  In this talk, Dr. Jensen, the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pain, and author of over 350 articles in peer-reviewed journals, will describe the most common problems seen in articles submitted for publication in the journal, and make specific recommendations for how to avoid those problems.   He will then review a general outline for organizing a scientific paper that he has found to be most successful in obtaining positive editorial decisions.

Educational Objectives:

1.     List the most common errors made by authors when submitting articles for publication.

2.     Describe a strategy for organising and writing a successful research article.

About the Speaker:

Mark P. Jensen, PhD, is a Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Jensen’s research program focuses on the development and evaluation of psychosocial interventions for pain management.  He has been awarded a number of grants from the National Institutes of Health and other funding sources for this work, and is the author or co-author of over 400 articles and chapters.  He has received a number of awards from the American Psychological Association (2003 APA Division 30 Award for Best Clinical Paper and 2012 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Scientific Hypnosis), the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (Roy M. Dorcus Award for Best Clinical Paper, 2004), and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (Clark Hull Award for Scientific Excellence in Writing on Experimental Hypnosis, 2009) for his scientific contributions.  He is also the current Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pain.

Speaker: Dr. Alex Kogan

Title: “Big Data Social Science: How Big Data Is Revolutionizing Our Science”

Date: 2 December 2014, 4-5:30pm

Venue: AS4/02-08 (Psychology Department Meeting Room)

Abstract:

Big data is increasingly becoming a hot topic in the social sciences, but what is it and why should we care? This talk focuses on answering these questions and suggests that big data is likely to revolutionize how we do our research. I will discuss how big data can be collected, stored, and analyzed, and the types of new insights it can provide to social scientists. I focus specifically on Facebook data and two datasets my lab is currently work with: (a) a sample of 50+ million individuals for whom we have the capacity to predict virtually any trait, and (b) a macro-dataset of every friendship made in the world on Facebook from 2006-2012 by all Facebook users at the national-aggregate level. New empirical findings will focus on prosociality, well-being, and health, though the talk’s central aim is to demonstrate how big data can be applied to traditional social science research questions.

About the Speaker:

Aleksandr Kogan Ph.D. is currently a University Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the University of Cambridge, directing the Prosociality and Well-being Lab. He received his undergraduate training at the University of California, Berkeley and his Ph.D. from the University of Hong Kong. He then went onto a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto before joining the Cambridge Department of Psychology in 2012. Alex’s research interests are broadly centered on the biological, contextual, cultural, and experiential forces that shape human kindness and well-being. Alex’s work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including BBC, Time, CNN, and Discovery Magazine.

We are pleased to announce that five of our graduate students have recently won the Graduate Students’ Teaching Award! Congratulations!!

Egor Ananyev
Fu Siling Charlene
Alethea Koh Hui Qin
Melvin Ng Mai Rong
Vania Yip Ting

Since Alethea, Melvin, and Vania are first-time winners, we also took the opportunity to find out what makes them such effective teachers.

Alethea

What inspires you to teach?

I had a couple of teachers as an undergraduate that made me discover how wonderful and exciting psychology was, and it has led me to where I am right now. I realize that a tutor’s own passion and enthusiasm in the topic can be infectious, in the way that it facilitates a keen desire to learn more about the subject. As how I have been influenced by my teachers, I want to pass this excitement on to my students; to enable them to discover what quickens their heart and makes them interested when it comes to learning about psychology. Sometimes as I teach, I’ll spot a few sparkling glints in the student’s eye which shows that they have caught that interest as well. It makes me very happy and motivated when I see that

What are some of the major challenges you face as a teacher?

Interestingly, the main challenge I face is the same challenge I had as a student; being hesitant to speak up. The students are very bright and have many great ideas during group discussions, but when it comes to sharing it with the rest of the class, most students are reluctant to speak out. From a teacher’s perspective, I’ve come to realize that the quality of discussions do vary from class to class, depending on the initiative taken by the students to voice out their questions and opinions. As a tutor, I want all my students to be able to have a fruitful tutorial and so far, the best way to encourage them is to make them feel at ease, and also provide many other mediums for them to voice out.

Why do you think you are an effective teacher?

I am as much of a student as I am a teacher. I always find myself learning something new each class, each topic and even each lesson. These experiences add up to improve myself, so that both I and my students can grow to enjoy the time spent in each tutorial. In addition, I love what I am teaching. It is because it is psychology that’s why I can teach; it is something I understand and would love to share with anyone even if I wasn’t a teacher, and that’s why I can joyfully do it in class as well

Melvin

What inspires you to teach?

Over the course of my many years as a student, I have come across many teachers. There have been those whose classes required a great force of will from me to merely attend, and there were those whose passion and excitement lit a fire, a consuming hunger that that continues to rage on within me to this day. It is the latter that I aspire to be, and that which I hope to embody eventually. To be able to do as they did, to not merely tell or show, but to reveal the beauty that is inherent in things that you feel passionate about, that you are truly interested in… And to see that same flame lit in the eyes of another, that is what inspires me to teach.

What are some of the major challenges you face as a teacher?

It is easy to show and tell. To, as Yeats so adroitly puts it, “fill a pail”, but to “light a fire” in others, therein lies the true challenge. In addition, it does not help that students tend to be so very afraid of making mistakes, of saying things that they think are wrong or ridiculous, even when such thoughts prove to not only be incredibly revealing, but insightful. To be able to convey information in ways that are relatable and interesting, and to encourage open discussion without fear of reprisal and with abandon, those are what I strive to achieve.

Why do you think you are an effective teacher?

Having a background in psychology definitely helps. To be able to use the knowledge I acquired from my cognitive psychology and behavioural and conditioning modules in a practical manner is an extremely exhilarating experience. In addition, teaching is its own reward for me, and I enjoy it immensely. Also, I strive to see the material from their perspective, to phrase and structure things in a way that assists and encourages them to find examples of their own from their everyday experiences and lives.

Vania

What inspires you to teach?

During a conversation about motivation in the workplace, a professor challenged me “what is one crucial factor in any workplace that you cannot compromise, and that can mitigate other unpleasant factors?” After much reflection, I felt that it would be having a heart for the people I serve. Hence, my main inspiration to teach comes from the students— having a concern for their mastery of course content, motivation to learn, as well as their personal development in life urges me on, at the same time mitigating unpleasant tasks that accompanies the job, such as administrative duties. Also, I am blessed to have had nurturing mentors in my life— teachers, professors, bosses, pastors who not only inspired my learning in a particular area, but also taught me important skills and values through their ways and coaching conversations with me. This inspires me to teach as I have personally experienced how it can potentially influence lives, no matter how small it may be.

What are some of the major challenges you face as a teacher?

A common sentiment that students express is that they get overwhelmed with the large amounts of information in the study of Psychology. Hence, it is challenging to inspire intellectual curiosity and learning in students especially for content related to, but beyond the curriculum, or the capacity to challenge and question current literature, which I feel are important to have. One personal challenge is that I am still slightly uncomfortable when quizzed about something I do not know. I am learning to develop greater humility— acknowledging that I have my limitations, to be at ease with it, and to learn alongside my students.

Why do you think you are an effective teacher?

Over and above academia, I feel that as teachers, we have an influence over students’ personal development in some way. I am thankful that students perceive me to be an approachable tutor which puts me in a better position to reach out to them. I try to share my experiences and life lessons, whenever appropriate, in hope that this may inspire them to apply lessons learnt in Psychology to improve the quality of their lives. Additionally, I enjoy catching up with students outside of tutorial and even after the module ends— some of them sought advice on internships and future directions, or shared their struggles about school and coping. These are opportunities that I treasure, and which helps me to learn (am still learning!), through self- reflection and feedback from students, to develop the values and skills of an effective teacher and mentor.

Speaker: Ms. Esther Wu

Title: “Lights, camera, action – CUT! How film cuts influence eye movements”

Date: 14 November 2014, 1-2pm

Venue: AS4/02-08 (Psychology Department Meeting Room)

Abstract:

Film transitions are often encountered during movies. For example, one shot of a movie may be abruptly replaced by another that depicts a different time, place, or perspective. Yet, despite the large perceptual and semantic changes they bring about, film transitions do not seem to impair the experience of watching a movie very much. In this talk, I will present several studies that examined how film transitions influence eye movements and perceptual scene understanding. Following a transition, the eyes moved systematically to the center of the screen. This tendency to center the eyes increased with how much the initial scene was changed, and corresponded with viewers’ explicit awareness of the change. Additionally, the tendency to center the eyes seemed to occur automatically. Our study demonstrates the characteristics of eye movements following a film transition, and provides the scientific basis for several considerations during film editing.

About the Speaker:

Esther is a currently a Ph.D student at the Department of Psychology. Her research interest lies in how people make eye movements when viewing scenes. For her doctoral research, she has been working on eye movement models and the influence of abrupt scene transitions on eye movement plans. She holds a B.Eng from NUS, and a M.Phil in Psychology from the University of Oslo.

Speaker: A/P Marios Avraamides

Title: “Coordinating in spatial tasks: The influence of representational and social cues”

Date: 7 November 2014, 1-2pm

Venue: AS4/02-08 (Psychology Department Meeting Room)

Abstract:

Spatial memory supports the execution of many of our everyday activities. For example, we find our way to the office every day and we initiate movements to locate out-of-sight objects in our home because we are able to retrieve from memory information about where things are in the environment. Moreover, in many cases we communicate such information to others, e.g., when providing route directions to a visitor or a description of the layout of buildings in the city center.  In a series of studies conducted in my lab, Alexia Galati and I have investigated how various cues influence spatial memory and the linguistic descriptions people provide in communicative contexts. Specifically, in the studies that will be presented, we have examined how contextual social cues such as the availability of the conversational partner’s viewpoint and representational cues such as the intrinsic structure of the spatial configuration jointly determine the way  information is maintained in spatial memory as well as the perspective of descriptions that are produced. Overall, our findings suggest that people weigh multiple cues (including social ones) to make attributions about the relative difficulty of perspective taking for each conversational partner, and adapt behaviour to minimize their collective effort.

About the Speaker:

Marios Avraamides is an Associate Professor of Cognitive Psychology at the University of Cyprus where he directs the Experimental Psychology Lab. He has previously obtained a BA in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and an MSc and a PhD degree in Cognitive/Experimental Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University. Prior to assuming a position in Cyprus, he had worked as a postdoctoral  scientist at the University of California Santa Barbara (USA) and at the Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Cybernetics (Germany).  In Fall 2012 he was a visiting scientist at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge (UK). At the University of Cyprus he teaches courses on Cognitive and Experimental Psychology, Memory, Attention, and Perception. His research interests lie within the field of spatial cognition and include among others spatial memory, navigation, and perspective-taking.

Speaker: Ms. Rui Qi

Title: “Predicting Nonword Repetition and Spelling Development in Bilingual Kindergarten Children”

Date: 31 October 2014, 1-2pm

Venue: AS4/02-08 (Psychology Department Meeting Room)

Abstract:

Brown and Hulme (1996) proposed a model of the causal relationships between receptive vocabulary, phonological memory and spelling for monolingual English-speaking children. Little is known about the equivalent processing in different bilingual groups. To evaluate and extend the model for the bilingual population, 29 pairs of Mandarin-L1/English-L2 and Malay-L1/English-L2 4- to 5-year-olds (matched on English receptive and expressive vocabulary) were assessed on nonword repetition (NWR) performance at Time 1 and WRAT4 spelling in English a year later at Time 2. Hierarchical regressions revealed group differences: Mandarin-ESL children seem to rely on different types of vocabulary measures for the nonword repetition and spelling tasks but expressive vocabulary seems to be consistently related with the two tasks for the Malay-ESL children. The data suggest ESL group differences in the underlying cognitive-linguistic factors influencing these variables.

About the Speaker:

Rui Qi is currently a Masters candidate in the Department of Psychology. Her primary area of research is in the psycholinguistic domain, specifically the phonological and spelling development in bilingual children. Outside of research, she can be found reading about anything literature, science, feminism, the environment et al.

Speaker: Ms. Mary Lee Lay Choo

Title: “Vocabulary Development of Bilingual Preschoolers in Singapore”

Date: 24 October 2014, 1-2pm

Venue: AS4/02-08 (Psychology Department Meeting Room)

Abstract:

For monolingual children, receptive vocabulary is a good indicator of overall language abilities (Paul, 2001) and predicts literacy skills and academic success. Measuring vocabulary development in bilingual children is more challenging and understanding its role in literacy is rather complex. Few, if any studies have tracked changes in a single setting, using objective, culturally appropriate tests, and contrasting languages. Following a brief introduction to the context and the range of variables employed for this longitudinal study (from Nursery to Kindergarten 2, ages 4-6 years),   the nature of vocabulary development will be described for three contrasting groups of bilingual pre-schoolers living in Singapore: English L1/Mandarin L2 (n=34), Mandarin L1/English L2 (n=31), and Malay L1/English L2 (n=30). For each child, five different measures of vocabulary were collated:  single language receptive vocabulary in L1 and L2, single language expressive vocabulary in L1 and L2, and total conceptual expressive vocabulary (singlets plus doublet overlap in L1/L2). In addition to age and language exposure at home and in kindergarten, the results suggest that the pattern of vocabulary development depends on the relationship between the bilingual child’s two languages, notably phonology.

About the Speaker:

Mary is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Psychology. Her main research interest is language and literacy development of bilingual children. Prior to the Ph.D. programme, she worked at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital assessing children with special needs.