Clusters
The Department was founded to support interdisciplinary research in cognitive science. Faculty members are usually involved in a range of different projects. Current research clusters include:
Applications of Cognitive Research
Cognitive scientists are involved in the application of cognitive science research to real world problems. At the Institute, researchers explore how research in cognitive science may inform areas such as mathematics education, gaming, visualization, team-oriented technology, spatial cognition applied to navigation, and language training.
Many researchers in this cluster are also involved in the Centre for Applied Cognitive Research.
Children’s Thinking: What Develops?
Researchers at the Institute explore issues related to the development of children’s thinking and language. The development of language and literacy is one focus, as is work on Theory of Mind and executive function.
Children’s Representational Development Lab.
Cognitive Neuroscience Cluster
Many of our researchers and labs use neuroimaging techniques to study the brain and mind together. Our researchers have expertise with EEG (Herdman, LeFevre, Jouravlev), fNIRS (Jouravlev, Anderson), and MRI (Anderson & Jouravlev).
Mental Representations: Structure and Process
How are our minds organized? What are the mental structures and processes that humans use to remember, think, learn, and know? Researchers at the Institute explore these questions from a variety of different theoretical and methodological perspectives. Come and study attention, spatial navigation, categorization, reading and mathematics, consciousness or theory of mind.
Modelling and Simulation
A variety of different forms of modelling and simulation of cognitive processes and embodied cognitive tasks occurs at the Institute. Modelling platforms include Nengo, ACT-R, and NetLogo. The VSIM labs include driving, helicopter, and fixed wing simulators.
Natural Language Processing and Simulation
The Natural Language Processing and Simulation cluster includes researchers interested in topics such as computational linguistics, language modelling and simulation, language acquisition, neurolinguistics and psycholinguistics.
Sound, Structure, and Meaning
The Sound, Structure, and Meaning cluster includes researchers interested in topics such as phonetics, phonology, prosody, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, field linguistics, language change, cross-linguistic variation, and language and culture.
