The Centre for Research in Human Development and Learning (CRHDL) conducts research on human development and learning from infancy through adulthood into old age. We investigate perceptual, social, and linguistic themes using a combination of experimental, observational, computational, and neurophysiological techniques.
The principal research themes conducted by members of the Centre are:
Language and literacy
How do infants acquire language? What are the causes of language disorders, and how do these affect literacy development and schooling? What interventions are available to support children and adults coping with language disorders?
Perceptual development and intersensory processing
How do infants develop an understanding of objects and interactions between objects? How do children and adults combine information from sound and sight, and when might this intersensory processing result in behaviour such as synaesthesia?
Memory development
How does memory change throughout the lifespan? At what point do children begin to remember events accurately, and what effect do these early memories have on them? What is the effect of emotion on memory? What is the effect of aging on memory?
Cognitive and neuropharmacological effects of ageing
How does nutrition affect cognitive processing throughout life? What cognitive tests may be early indicators of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimers disease, and what support for cognitive processing can we provide to people that suffer from these disorders?