A Symposium on Cognitive and Motor Processes in Spatial Attention: 11th & 12th July 2019
As part of our Open Research Area grant “Control of Attention by the Motor System: A Motor Bias Theory of Attention” we (Dan & Soazig) hosted a workshop exploring interactions between attention, working memory and motor control at the Department of Psychology, Durham University. You can find a Conference Report HERE
Overview
Spatial attention can be oriented independently of the direction of gaze, but the neural and cognitive mechanisms governing this ‘covert’ orienting are controversial. A widely held view is that orienting of attention depends on the programming of eye-movements (e.g. Klein’s Oculomotor Readiness Hypothesis and Rizzolatti’s Premotor Theory), but recent work has challenged this view. There is evidence that the orienting of attention may be guided by a number of different, interacting processes including working memory and motor control. The purpose of this workshop was to provide scholars with a forum for an exciting discussion of how different cognitive and motor systems interact to guide spatial attention. The program included keynote lectures from award winning scientists Prof Marisa Carrasco and Prof Christian Olivers and talks from leading early and mid career scholars in the field. There was also a drinks reception, poster & networking session on day 1, in which delegate presented their research, and a social dinner at St Hild & St Bede College. There was a small registration fee of £20 for the meeting only or £50 for meeting & social dinner. The fee included wine & nibbles during poster session, lunch on the 12th, and coffee breaks on both days.
Keynote talks were given by
There will also talks by other leading scholars, including:
- Dr. Teuni ten Brink (Utrecht University)
- Prof. Therese Collins (Paris Descartes)
- Dr. Trevor Crawford (Lancaster University)
- Dr. Anna Grubert (Durham University)
- Dr. Nina Hanning (LMU)
- Dr. Monika Harvey (Glasgow)
- Dr. Casimir Ludwig (Bristol University)
- Dr. Laure Pisella (Lyon University)
- Dr. Martin Rolfs (HU Berlin)
Program
You can download the Workshop Program with Abstracts HERE.
Accommodation
We hosted our speakers & delegates in great value accommodation in Stephenson College, which was 10-15 minutes walk from the meeting venue and Bed & Continental Breakfast was just £38.33.