Konstantina Vasileva

Imagery is more than meets the eye: a new look at mental imagery processing in working memory

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

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.