Research Statement

I work with Peter C. Gordon in the Cognitive Psychology program at UNC-CH. My research interests relate to the use of memory processes during language comprehension.  In particular, my approach to this type of research is focused on gaining an understanding the operation of memory during the reading of sentences that are complex enough to be somewhat demanding with respect to working memory operation.  Although I have used various methodologies to study the intersection of language comprehension and working memory, in recent years my research has been centered on the use of eye-tracking methodology.  Such methodology, in contrast to other methodologies like the self-report of processing difficulty or the presentation of materials within the paradigms of rapid serial visual presentation or self-paced controls, allows researchers to access the particular time-course and locations of fixations in a relatively natural reading environment.  The use of such fixation information will surely enable us to learn more about how readers use their memory to understand language.