Navigating Different Worlds

As adults, viewing and understanding our surroundings is effortless and highly efficient. For many years it’s been assumed that children approach their visual surroundings in a similar way – however, what if this is not the case? A new wave of research has revealed critical differences throughout childhood in the way children attend to, perceive, and process their visual environment. This talk will discuss these differences and how research is working to unravel the development of these complex mechanisms.

A lot of people focus on how video games change our psyche, but fewer people think about how they use psychology to design games in the first place. From psychoanalysis in stories to the science behind motion controls, we will talk about how psychological principles are used in video games to enhance our enjoyment and experience. And even how games are changing our approach to psychological research!

Without conscious thought, we process immense amounts of information every second of our lives. We explore our environment for information in the same way our ancestors might have explored a terrain for food and water. We are constantly deciding between seeking new sources or sticking to the same familiar ones. But our energy, just like our time and money, is limited. I will discuss how individuals differ in how they use their energy to explore their environment, including the unique talents of those with autism and ADHD.