Bianca De Wit

Biography

I completed by PhD in Cognitive Science at Macquarie University in 2014. Under the supervision of Associate Professor Sachiko Kinoshita, Professor Genevieve McArthur, and Dr Nicholas Badcock, my PhD research focussed on the semantic priming effect. Specifically, I examined the assumed automaticity of this effect through the manipulation of the visibility of the prime and the type of task used to study this effect in the laboratory. In addition, I focussed on the use of the whole reaction time (RT) distribution when studying these effects instead of merely focussing on the limited knowledge we acquire from studying average reaction times. Inspired by my PhD research, I am collaborating with Associate Professor Kinoshita on multiple projects that make use of RT distribution analysis to investigate various aspects of the Stroop effect. In addition to my interest and involvement in word recognition studies, I have developed a strong interest in the use of technology in research and eduction, with a particular focus on the use of consumer-grade equipment such as the Emotiv EEG system - a portable and affordable gaming system that measures electrical brain activity. I have been involved in project that demonstrated that the Emotiv can provide a more affordable and conveniently portable alternative to traditional EEG research systems when measuring auditory event-related potentials (ERPs). Continuing my collaboration with Dr Badcock, we are currently investigating the use of the Emotiv as a research tool in other areas of Cognitive Science research.

Research Interest

my interest in the use of the Emotiv as a research tool and my affinity with teaching, I am currently leading a project that implements the Emotiv EPOC+ in a brain imaging teaching laboratory that is offered during the introductory unit to the new major in Cognitive and Brain Sciences offered by the Department of Cognitive Science. These laboratory sessions give students the opportunity to use the Emotiv system to synthesise and apply their understanding of fundamental concepts in cognitive neuroscience. Innovatively, the fully portable nature of this laboratory makes it possible to offer our first-year students a highly interactive and exploratory lab-based learning experience in their usual classroom.