News from the Cognition & Aging Lab
November 2023: Congratulations to Jessica!
Congratulations to Jessica Udry on receiving a Women In Cognitive Sciences networking award! This award supported her travel to the annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society in San Francisco where she presented a poster discussing memory biases related to COVID-19 and delivered a talk describing her research on illusory truth effects.
Congratulations to Jessica Udry on receiving a Women In Cognitive Sciences networking award! This award supported her travel to the annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society in San Francisco where she presented a poster discussing memory biases related to COVID-19 and delivered a talk describing her research on illusory truth effects.
November 2023: Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference
Two talented undergraduate students from our lab -- Tiara Johnson and Zakiyyah Saleem -- presented the findings from their registered replication project at the GSU Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference (PURC). This project was a replication of Pennycook et al. (2018, Study 2) conducted as part of the Collaborative Replication & Education Project (CREP). The CREP team will later combine our data with the data collected by other groups and will conduct a meta-analysis to determine the generalizability and replicability of the findings. |
November 2023: PhD Proposal Meeting
Congratulations to Hyunji Kim, for successfully presenting her PhD proposal! We are looking forward to learning the results of your proposed experiment in the future.
Congratulations to Hyunji Kim, for successfully presenting her PhD proposal! We are looking forward to learning the results of your proposed experiment in the future.
October 2023: Recent Research Findings
Repeated information feels truer, but the content of what is repeated matters. In a series of experiments led by Jessica Udry, we find that semantic consistency across the repetitions is key to boosting belief, a conclusion that supports the referential theory of truth. These findings were recently published in Cognition (Udry & Barber, 2023).
Repeated information feels truer, but the content of what is repeated matters. In a series of experiments led by Jessica Udry, we find that semantic consistency across the repetitions is key to boosting belief, a conclusion that supports the referential theory of truth. These findings were recently published in Cognition (Udry & Barber, 2023).
September 2023: New Grant to Examine Age-Based Stereotype Threat Effects
A new R03 award will support new research in our lab on age-based stereotype threat. Currently, there are competing theories about why age-based stereotype threat adversely impacts older adults’ memory performance. To solve this problem, this project will use a computational modeling approach to clarify how stereotype threat impacts the component processes of older adult’s working memory performance.
A new R03 award will support new research in our lab on age-based stereotype threat. Currently, there are competing theories about why age-based stereotype threat adversely impacts older adults’ memory performance. To solve this problem, this project will use a computational modeling approach to clarify how stereotype threat impacts the component processes of older adult’s working memory performance.
September 2023: Feelings surrounding the 2020 Presidential Election -- What People Expected & Remembered
We recently examined younger and older adults' affective forecasting forecasting accuracy (i.e., how accurately people could predict their own future feelings). Prior to the 2020 United States Presidential election participants predicted how they would feel should each candidate win. One week after the election, participants reported their actual feelings. As reported in Barber et al. (2023), our findings reveal that patterns of age differences in forecasting accuracy depended upon whether one's preferred candidate won or lost the election. Among election victors, there were age-related improvements in forecasting accuracy of future mood, but among election losers there were age-related declines in forecasting accuracy.
A subsequent study by Devarayapuram Ramakrishnan et al. (2023) then examined how accurately younger and older adults could recall their prior feelings following the election, when asked six months later to remember how they previously felt. Here, we found that both younger and older adults tended to overestimate the intensity of their prior mood. However, a surprising effect emerged among the election losers: Older adults who were disappointed by the election results showed an age-related negativity effect, which is in contrast to the positivity effect we typically see when testing memory in lab settings.
We recently examined younger and older adults' affective forecasting forecasting accuracy (i.e., how accurately people could predict their own future feelings). Prior to the 2020 United States Presidential election participants predicted how they would feel should each candidate win. One week after the election, participants reported their actual feelings. As reported in Barber et al. (2023), our findings reveal that patterns of age differences in forecasting accuracy depended upon whether one's preferred candidate won or lost the election. Among election victors, there were age-related improvements in forecasting accuracy of future mood, but among election losers there were age-related declines in forecasting accuracy.
A subsequent study by Devarayapuram Ramakrishnan et al. (2023) then examined how accurately younger and older adults could recall their prior feelings following the election, when asked six months later to remember how they previously felt. Here, we found that both younger and older adults tended to overestimate the intensity of their prior mood. However, a surprising effect emerged among the election losers: Older adults who were disappointed by the election results showed an age-related negativity effect, which is in contrast to the positivity effect we typically see when testing memory in lab settings.
July 2023: Welcome to new PhD student!
Please welcome Michael Sobel Misieczko, a GSU Clinical Neuropsychology graduate student, to the Cognition & Aging Lab!
Please welcome Michael Sobel Misieczko, a GSU Clinical Neuropsychology graduate student, to the Cognition & Aging Lab!
Summer 2023: MA Thesis and PhD Proposal Meetings
Congratulations to Fiona Li for successfully defending her MA thesis, and to Jessica Udry for successfully proposing her PhD dissertation project! Well done!
Congratulations to Fiona Li for successfully defending her MA thesis, and to Jessica Udry for successfully proposing her PhD dissertation project! Well done!
Feb 2023: Presentation at GSU's Aging Research Conference & Best Undergraduate Research Presentation
Our lab group had a strong presence at the GSU Aging Research conferences, with fantastic poster presentations by Kaelyn Garcia, Sagarika Devarayapuram Ramakrishnan, Brianna Wright, and Emma Nicholson. A big shoutout to Emma for landing the award for best undergraduate research presentation! Congrats also to Sagarika and Brianna for being co-runners up for the best undergraduate research presentation! |
December 2021: Bailey M. Wade Fellowship
Congratulations to Jessica Udry, who received this year's Bailey M. Wade Fellowship. This departmental award goes to one first-year graduate student, who has excelled in their coursework, individual research and scholarship, and departmental service.
Congratulations to Jessica Udry, who received this year's Bailey M. Wade Fellowship. This departmental award goes to one first-year graduate student, who has excelled in their coursework, individual research and scholarship, and departmental service.
November 2021: Undergraduate Honor's thesis
Congratulations to Sagarika Devarayapuram Ramakrishnan, who successfully complete an undergraduate honors thesis in the Cognition & Aging Lab and also presented the results of this project at the annual psychology undergraduate research conference.
Congratulations to Sagarika Devarayapuram Ramakrishnan, who successfully complete an undergraduate honors thesis in the Cognition & Aging Lab and also presented the results of this project at the annual psychology undergraduate research conference.
August 2020: Welcome to new PhD student!
Please welcome Jessica Udry to the Cognition & Aging Lab! Jessica is beginning the PhD program in Cognitive Sciences
Please welcome Jessica Udry to the Cognition & Aging Lab! Jessica is beginning the PhD program in Cognitive Sciences
May 2020: Forbes article
"Older men worry less about COVID-19 and that could put them at greater risk" -- This Forbes article describes the findings of a study conducted by Hyunji Kim and Dr. Sarah Barber in March 2020, looking at group differences in how people in the US first responded to the pandemic.
"Older men worry less about COVID-19 and that could put them at greater risk" -- This Forbes article describes the findings of a study conducted by Hyunji Kim and Dr. Sarah Barber in March 2020, looking at group differences in how people in the US first responded to the pandemic.
Oct 2019: Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference
Congratulations to David Sloan, whose poster presentation was advanced to the second round of judging at GSU's annual psychology undergraduate research conference.
Congratulations to David Sloan, whose poster presentation was advanced to the second round of judging at GSU's annual psychology undergraduate research conference.
August 2019: Welcome to new PhD students!
Please welcome Fiona Li and Hyunji Kim to the Cognition & Aging Lab! Fiona is beginning the PhD program in Cognitive Sciences and Hyunji is beginning the PhD program in Developmental Psychology.
Please welcome Fiona Li and Hyunji Kim to the Cognition & Aging Lab! Fiona is beginning the PhD program in Cognitive Sciences and Hyunji is beginning the PhD program in Developmental Psychology.
June 2019: J. Don Read early career award
Dr. Sarah Barber received the J. Don Read early career award from the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC). This award recognizes the outstanding contributions of emerging scholars in the area of applied memory and cognition. The award was presented at the biannual meeting of the SARMAC society, which took place in Cape Cod.
Dr. Sarah Barber received the J. Don Read early career award from the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC). This award recognizes the outstanding contributions of emerging scholars in the area of applied memory and cognition. The award was presented at the biannual meeting of the SARMAC society, which took place in Cape Cod.
December 2018: Boston Globe article
"Why you shouldn't be afraid of your aging brain" -- This Boston Globe article describes some recent work from our lab on the positivity effect and how it can be eliminated by age-based stereotype threat.
"Why you shouldn't be afraid of your aging brain" -- This Boston Globe article describes some recent work from our lab on the positivity effect and how it can be eliminated by age-based stereotype threat.
August 2018: We have relocated to Atlanta!
For the past four years, we have been located at San Francisco State University. However, we have now relocated to Georgia State University in Atlanta. Stay tuned for more updates!
For the past four years, we have been located at San Francisco State University. However, we have now relocated to Georgia State University in Atlanta. Stay tuned for more updates!
May 16, 2018: Media coverage of a recent study
New research from our lab shows that stereotype threat can lower memory performance in older Chinese immigrants. However, a culturally-appropriate intervention can buffer them from this adverse effect. This research was the basis of Shyuan Ching Tan's thesis. For a press release describing this research, please click here.
New research from our lab shows that stereotype threat can lower memory performance in older Chinese immigrants. However, a culturally-appropriate intervention can buffer them from this adverse effect. This research was the basis of Shyuan Ching Tan's thesis. For a press release describing this research, please click here.
May 4-5, 2018: Cognitive Aging Conference (CAC) presentations
Our lab was busy with presentations at this year's CAC! Posters were presented by Jessica Becerra, Noelle Lopez, Jordan Seliger, Ismael Tellez, and Megan Thomas.
Our lab was busy with presentations at this year's CAC! Posters were presented by Jessica Becerra, Noelle Lopez, Jordan Seliger, Ismael Tellez, and Megan Thomas.