PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR |
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STEPHEN J. FLUSBERG [sflusberg at vassar dot edu] [CV]
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CURRENT LAB MEMBERS |
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Asher Donnelly is a sophomore at Vassar researching how language shapes reasoning about complex social issues. They are also interested in the philosophy of mind and logic and exploring theories of perception and consciousness. In their free time, they enjoy playing ultimate frisbee and practicing circus arts (especially ones that involve fire).
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Emily Doucet is a senior Cog Sci major at Vassar interested in music cognition. Her thesis project is investigating the factors that contribute to action slips in expert musicians. She is a classically trained pianist whose other senior project is exploring and reviving the work of pioneering composer Florence Price. Emily is also passionate about student government is the current president — and past VP — of the Vassar Student Association (VSA).
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Zach Garfinkle is a junior Cog Sci major at Vassar interested in the role of metaphor and analogy in explanation. He is currently exploring whether using multiple explanatory metaphors helps people understand complex topics more than single metaphors or literal explanations, a process known as metaphorical triangulation.
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JD Jarolimek is a sophomore Cog Sci major at Vassar conducting research on linguistic framing. He is interested in exploring the cognitive abilities of large language models and understanding other recent developments in AI. JD is also a graphic designer and musician in his spare time and enjoys playing guitar and piano and jamming the blues.
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Esmé Nix is a sophomore at Vassar investigating framing effects in public discourse. In addition to language, she is also interested in embodiment and philosophy. She is also passionate about the arts and loves to make films, act, do sketch comedy, read, sing, and sew.
Alex Spitzer is a senior Cog Sci major at Vassar interested in the cognitive science of dance and performance. Her senior thesis is exploring what makes some choreography more memorable than others and the role that labeling plays in this process. She is an active dancer herself and is a member of multiple dance groups on campus.
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LAB ALUMNI and THESIS TOPICS |
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2022-2023
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Lindsey Anderson: How celebrity status of alleged assailants impacts victim framing
Madison Buttice: How language and athlete identity impact social judgment Amna Khan: The impact of mixed metaphor framing Nicole Brea Ortiz: Investigating the impact of age on essentialist reasoning in kids Andrew Raska: A critical evaluation of cognitive reappraisal for stress management |
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2021-2022
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Yasmine Compare: Effects of a brief educational intervention on mental illness stigma
Matthew Cohen: Effects of phonetics and celebrity on preference for neologisms Deborah Hoffman: Investigating the social and cognitive consequences of bilingualism Natalie Kurek: Factors associated with resistance to gender-fair language Raja Mazar: The impact of anthropomorphism on cognitive development Hadiyah Phillips: Bicultural identity and belonging in a college setting |
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2020-2021
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Olisa Bajgora: The foreign language effect in moral judgment and mental imagery
Kelly Baxter: Linguistic framing and stigma for substance use disorders Angelica Castaldo: Investigating the prevalence and predictors of the Mandela Effect Dylan Ciolfi: The role of gender stereotypes in victim framing Jasmine Pacheco: The relationship between aphantasia, daydreaming, and rumination Riley Philistin: Barriers to education in a non-native language |
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2018-2019
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Sam Balko: Effects of speaker and listener identity on metaphor framing
Abbey Cuddy: Does maternal history of depression predict internal state talk? Melissa Herrera: Does maternal internal state talk affect executive functioning? Edona Lazorja: War metaphors for addiction Katherine Lopez: Framing effects for neurodiverse persons in a criminal context Kiera O'Connell: Is there a saving-enhanced memory effect for spatial layouts? |
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2017-2018
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Michael Battersby: Metaphorical framing for the treatment of social anxiety
Jada Cheek: Linguistic framing and attitudes towards law enforcement Nicholas Duci: How smartphone presence affects lecture learning Carly LaPlace: Agent framing moderates effects of the moral history of money Robert Olejarz: Do smartphones function as security blankets? Justice Marin: Framing effects on attitudes towards mental illness |
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2016-2017
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Mark Lauria: The influence of communication modality on metaphor framing
Avianca Ramos: Saving-enhanced memory effects in the real world Jessica Smith: How access to the internet affects problem-solving Rachel Ubanos: Cognitive consequences of schema violations Paul Wingate: Do schema violations reduce top-down processing? |
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2015-2016
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Kevin Collister: Effects of schema disruptions on visual pattern detection
Adaira Marie Greco: The effects of thought disposal on feelings of guilt Conrad Hamonet: Illusory behavioral synchrony and prosocial behavior Daniel Pitti: Effects of metaphor on perceptions of social mobility |
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2014-2015
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Kathleen Dengler: The role of acting experience in lie detection
Phineas Howie: Effects of information availability on memory and attitudes Brianna Massaro: Do metaphors enhance text learning? Jessica Pivnik: How low illumination affects the empathic response Devin Stack: The effects of musical experience on sequential memory |
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2013-2014
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Gracie Bihn: Does yoga enhance attentional abilities?
Michael DellaValle: The role of metaphor in reasoning about mental illness Alicia Hwang: Effects of dance expertise on sequence learning Dean Miller: Multiple reference frames in the learning of spatial layouts Stacy Radich: Movin’ on up: Spatial metaphors and social standing |
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2012-2013
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Chase Meyerson: Do actors make better liars and lie detectors?
Derek Shapiro: Life journey metaphors predict locus of control |