Faculty

Related Links
Cognitive Psychology Program

Research Interests
I started my career in psychology conducting research at the US Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate Crew Station Research and Development Facility at NASA-Ames, Moffet Field, California. My early work examined simulator sickness and how visual abilities interact with the perception of self-motion. Since then, I have conducted research on issues related perceiving motion, especially as related to dynamic tasks such as control of locomotion and driving. Current research focuses on the interaction of attention and perception. I am particularly interested in how these two aspects of cognition are influenced by aging, performance of dual-tasks (such as conversing and driving), and smoking. Other areas of research I have worked on include visual marking, object-based attention, and illusory conjunctions in memory.

Selected Publications
Atchley, P. & Dressel, J. Conversation limits the functional field of view. Human Factors. In press.

Atchley, P. & Hoffman, L. (2004). Aging and visual masking: An interaction of sensory and attentional effects. Psychology & Aging. 19, 57-67.

Atchley, P., Jones, S. & Hoffman, L. (2003). Visual marking: A Convergence of goal and stimulus driven processes during visual search. Perception & Psychophysics, 65, 667-677.

Atchley, P., Grobe, J., & Fields, L. (2002). The effect of smoking on perceptual and cognitive masking. Perception & Psychophysics. 64, 328-336.

Atchley, P. & Kramer, A.F. (2001). Object-based attentional selection in three-dimensional space. Visual Cognition, 8, 1-32.