Attention shapes visual perception

Visual attention is essential for visual perception. Spatial attention
allows us to grant priority in processing and selectively process
information at a given location. In this talk, I will present empirical
studies:

(1) investigating how endogenous (voluntary) and exogenous (involuntary)
covert attention improve contrast sensitivity at attended locations and
have concurrent costs at unattended locations;

(2) testing predictions of a normalization model of attention; (3)

The Evolution of Punishment

Punishment involves paying a cost to harm another individual and is thought to be a key mechanism that promotes cooperation. Nevertheless, it is not clear (1) whether punishment has the effect of converting cheats into cooperators or (2) how punishment can be favoured by selection, given that it involves costs to punishers. Here, I will use the cleaner fish-client mutualism as a model species to show that punishment does indeed promote cooperation in some contexts.

Cognition does not affect perception

Pour rencontrer Chaz Firestone, merci de contacter Brent Strickland : stricklandbrent@gmail.com.

What determines what we see? A tidal wave of recent research alleges that visual experience is 'penetrated' by higher-level cognitive states such as beliefs, desires, emotions, intentions, and linguistic abilities. There is a growing consensus that such effects are ubiquitous, and even that the distinction between seeing and thinking may itself be unsustainable. I argue otherwise: There is in fact no