Dynamic Minds: Methods and Models for Understanding Naturalistic Learning

Title:

Dynamic Minds: Methods and Models for Understanding Naturalistic Learning

Info:

Dr. Cameron Hassall

MacEwan University

Date:

Wednesday, November 08, 2023, 4:00 PM MST

Where:

P226, Biological Sciences Building

Abstract:

The neural basis of learning is traditionally studied using simple tasks in highly controlled laboratory settings. This is a problem because the real world is complex and dynamic. One solution is to move towards ecologically valid experiments. To illustrate the benefits and challenges of this approach, I will discuss recent efforts to measure rapid learning signals in the brain using a technique borrowed from language researchers. The importance of these signals will be discussed in the context of realistic computational models of learning.

Bio:

Cameron Hassall is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at MacEwan University. He completed an MSc in Experimental Psychology at Dalhousie University and a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Victoria. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford before joining the faculty at MacEwan in 2023. Cameron’s research program focuses on understanding how the brain supports learning and decision-making, which he studies by testing the behavioural and neural predictions of various computational models.