Konstantina Vasileva
Imagery is more than meets the eye: a new look at mental imagery processing in working memory
Konstantina Vasileva
PhD Student
School of Psychology
Profile
Konstantina’s thesis investigated consciousness and perception in a series of experiments based on the work of Yale researchers Paul Bloom and Adam Bear. Through her individual coursework she also developed a strong interest in visual perception and mental imagery. She is fascinated by how imagery uses stored representations (memory) to simulate multimodal sensory experience (perception) and generate new knowledge (imagination/future predictions) in a range of cognitive processes.
Some of the outstanding questions in mental imagery research she wants to address in her PhD research are: In what ways is imagery different from other forms of top-down activity? How is imagery related to working memory (especially in relation to attention)? Can mental images be generated without conscious awareness (i.e. executive involvement)?
Qualifications
MSc Cognitive Science
MSc Comparative Research
Exchange Student: University of Washington, University of Macerata
Research Interests
Mental Imagery, Perception, Attention, Working Memory
Publications
PhD topic
Imagery is more than meets the eye: a new look at mental imagery processing in working memory
Supervisor/s
Dr Matt Crawford, School of Psychology
Dr David Carmel, School of Psychology
Lab Association
Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab (CAN Lab) - Directed by A/Prof Gina Grimshaw
In our lab, we study the thought processes and the brain mechanisms that allow us to think, feel, and act. We pursue two lines of research that often intersect. The first concerns how we perceive, interpret, and respond to emotional signals in our environment, and the second concerns how we create meaning when we encounter novel situations.