Description:

Our research approaches language from a social networks perspective. We show how individuals' social network structure influences how good individuals are at understanding others and at expressing themselves. We also examine whether one of the reasons that languages differ from each other is because they are spoken by communities with differnet social structures. We examine these questions using a combination of individual differences, experimental, and computational methods, and across different linguistic levels.

Members:

Dr Anna Petrova (post-doc)

For more information, see here. 

Description:

We are interested in the interplay of cultural evolution and communication, with a comparative psychological focus. We examine how, for example, different species of birds have evolved different learning abilities and how these shape their song "cultures", and how these song cultures shape communication.

Members:

Dr Lies Zandbert (Leverhulme Early Career fellow)

Marianne Sarfati (PhD student)

Warren Horrod-Wilson (PhD student)

For more information, see here. 

Description:

We study the mechanisms of attention and awareness in vision, hearing and touch. Our work covers a range of topics, including: attentional capture; the relationship between attention and awareness; and the way that attention acts within and between the different sensory modalities. We also investigate attentional allocation during real life tasks, such as driving cars, piloting aircraft and experiencing immersive technologies such as virtual reality.

Members:

Isabelle Verhulst (PhD student)

Ryan Jefferies (PhD student)

For more information, see here. 

Description:

We study how people read and learn to read, how this differs across languages, and how we can optimise instruction to improve outcomes for children. 

Members:

Dr. Maria Korochkina (postdoctoral research fellow)

Dr Anastasiya Lopukhina (postdoctoral research fellow)

Dr Dave Cayado (British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellow)

Dr. Holly Cooper (postdoctoral research fellow)

Dr. Teng Guo (postdoctoral research fellow)

Cheng-Yu Hsieh (PhD student)

For more information, see here. 

Description:

In the Language and Reading Acquisition (LARA) research lab, we are interested in reading and spoken language development in childhood and adolescence. We are particularly interested in how reading and spoken language benefit learning, and are important in our everyday lives. Our research adopts a range of methodological approaches including longitudinal and experimental studies, and co-creation with non-academic partners. We investigate research questions that are motivated by theory and educational policy and practice. In all of our research, we work closely with teachers and the educational community to conduct research and consider its implications for education.

Members:

Courtney Hooton (PhD student)

Dr Becky Crowley (Postdoctoral researcher)

For more information, see here. 

Description:

The Sound Mind Lab at Royal Holloway studies how we use language and music to interact and communicate.

For more information, see here. 

Description:

The Royal Holloway Baby Lab investigates cognitive and perceptual development in infants and young children, focusing on how they explore, remember, and learn about their environment. Dr Shinskey and her team study early memory, object permanence, and the transition from perceptual to conceptual understanding. Through experiments often involving reaching behaviour and looking-time measures, the lab explores how infants make sense of objects when out of sight, how they differentiate and categorise objects, and how they use communication and symbolic thinking to understand their surroundings. Shinskey’s lab also studies how infants interact with digital versus physical objects, analysing how different types of media influence learning and attention. These insights help clarify the fundamental ways infants develop cognitive skills and adapt to rapidly changing environments, providing useful information for educational strategies and early childhood development practices.

Members:

Dr Amber Muhinyi (post-doctoral research assistant)

For more information, see here. 

Description:

The core aim of the Royal Holloway Sleep Lab is to further demystify the third of our lives we spend asleep.

Research led by Dr Jakke Tamminen focuses on sleep, learning and memory.

That led by Dr Alice Gregory focuses on sleep and our mental health.

Developmental questions are central to our work. Facilities include a two-bedroom sleep laboratory with full Embla polysomnography equipment for monitoring neural activity during sleep; as well as actigraphy. 

Members:

Dr Rebecca Crowley (postdoctoral researcher)

For more information, see here.