LAB DIRECTOR
Dr Ben Dyson (Associate Professor) started at the University of Alberta in Summer 2018. He graduated from York University, UK, in 2002 after completing his thesis on auditory cognition and went on to a postdoctoral fellowship position at the Rotman Research Institute, Canada (2002-2004) to learn about event-related potentials (ERPs). His first academic position was at the (then) Department of Psychology at the University of Sussex, UK (2005-2008). He returned to Canada to work at Toronto Metropolitan University for six years (2008-2014) and then back to the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex, UK (2015-2018).
CURRENT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Dr Dyson is on sabbatical Fall 2024 – Winter 2025.
CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENTS
I am accepting applications for MSc / PhD students for Fall 2025.
- A minimum requirement is that your previous and / or future research interests align with the decision-making research that we do in the Re:Cognition Lab.
- We are in the process of refining and advancing our equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies. We want you to help us develop and sustain these commitments.
- To remove one such EDI barrier, GRE scores are not required for applications to the Re:Cognition Lab.
List of countries and institutions from which you do not need to take an English test
Formal applications should be completed here. The Department of Psychology will begin making offers for admission December 1 2024 for Fall 2025 intake.
CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENTS
Eunchan Na obtained his BA (2016) in Industrial Psychology from Hoseo University, Korea, and MA (2018) in Psychology from Sungshin Women’s University, Korea. He is interested in how feedback is processed, evaluated, and how feedback evaluation affects later decision making.
Yajing Zhang obtained her BA (2018) in International Politics from Beijing Language and Culture University, China, and MA (2020) in Applied Psychology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China. She is interested in the role of individuals’ music preference, extraneous noise and affect in decision-making.
FORMER GRADUATE STUDENTS
Jukka Sundvall obtained his BA (2014) and MA (2016) in Cognitive Science from the University of Helsinki, Finland. Jukka joined the Re:Cognition lab in the Autumn of 2016 and graduated in December 2019. He is generally interested in judgment and decision making, and the effects of risk, reward and other affective factors on these processes. He has done some previous research on utilitarian judgment in moral dilemma situations. His current focus is on rationality and irrationality in gaming decisions.
Jonathan Wilbiks obtained a BSc (Hons) in Psychology (2008) from the University of Toronto, an MA in Psychology of Music (2010) from the University of Sheffield (UK), and a PhD in Psychology from Ryerson University in 2016. While working in the Re:Cognition Lab during his PhD, Jonathan investigated the factors that lead to changes in the capacity of audiovisual integration. Jonathan is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of New Brunswick Saint John where he is the director of the Music and Multisensory Processes Lab.
CURRENT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Kaylee Allison (Thesis)
Leo Baik
Rama Chehimi is currently in her last year of a BSc in Biological Sciences, minoring in Psychology. She is interested in how cognitive processes in gaming can be influenced in the presence or absence of collective decision-making. Moreover, she is curious about the effect of allies on the change of approach in decision-making.
Natalie Chong (Thesis)
Abdul Majid El Rifai (Thesis 2023-2025) is currently pursuing a BSc Honors in Psychology. He is interested in how people make split-second decisions under pressure. He is also interested in studying the brain and how it processes feedback.
Daniel Eyestone (Thesis)
Kaylee Kloster
Sara Ladhani is currently in their last year of a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Psychology and Biology. They are particularly interested in how cognition shapes decision-making in a game environment during which there is competitiveness. Moreover, factors that support individual growth in one’s cognitive processes are among other interests within psychology.
Marie-Eve Mallet (Thesis 2023 – 2025) is currently pursuing a BSc Honours in Psychology. She is interested in how cognitive, physiological, and environmental factors interact to affect decision making and behaviour. She has a broad interest in sciences and looks forward to collaborating with others in various different disciplines and specializations to learn about the brain and behaviour under different paradigms.
Hannah Malmo is a second-year undergraduate student working towards a BA in psychology with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. She is interested in many areas of cognitive psychology. She is currently most excited to study how the cognitive impacts of failure may be influenced by the perception of control over failure.
Brittney Phung
Siena Scozzafava is currently completing a BSc in Psychology, minoring in Chemistry. She is interested in how prior experiences and outcomes can influence the quality of an individual’s decision-making.
Pram Tehnnakoowel is in her fourth year of a Bachelor of Science degree with a specialization in Psychology. She is interested in using gaming to study decision-making and exploring the influence of stress on cognitive processes.
Carolyn Tellier is in the fourth year of a Bachelors of Science specializing in Psychology. She is interested in studying neuropsychology and how context influences decision making
Yihang Wang (Thesis) is currently in his 3rd year completing a BSc Psychology in the Faculty of Science. He is interested in the impact of training programs on decision-making performance in competitive environments.
Ali Zahiriabyaneh is currently in his fourth year of a Bachelor of Science specializing in Psychology. He is interested in studying how different emotional states influence decision-making.
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
2022 -2023
Ammarah Asad (Thesis)
Pradhee Bastola
Tianzi Dou (Thesis)
Abdul Majid El Rifai
Ruth Huizinga (Thesis)
Bikalpa Koirala (Thesis)
Tahnia Ladhani
Siena Scozzafava
Davin Valera
Grace Zhu
2021 -2022
Kezziah Ayuno
Leo Baik
Adison La Liberté
Kaelyn McEwan
2020 -2021
Ahad Asad
Rimsa Dahal
Ver-Se Denga
Truc Huynh
Kelsey MacLellan
Noah Mitchell
Danielle Vavrek
Jonathan Wiebe
2019 – 2020
Sadia Anjum
Cierre Asis
Ladan Khalaf
Hasul Kim
Habeebah Mohammad
Anna Ryjenkova
Fahad Syed
2018 – 2019
Jett Bland
Kaylee Craplewe
Fenya Fitzpatrick
VISITING STUDENTS
Yeling Huang (Summer 2019)
RE:COGNITION ALUMNI
Piggy was rescued from a lab clear-out at Sussex University in 2006 and has been an honorary member of the lab ever since. He’s not sure whether he likes the UK or Canada better.
Despite his cheery disposition, Piggy gets very upset when participants do not turn up.