Dr. Reysen is an experimental cognitive psychologist who specializes in research on human memory, more specifically, social influences on memory performance and eye-witness testimony
Research Interests
Effects of social influences on cognitive processes. This area of research focuses on how social factors, like working with other people to remember information, can influence subsequent memory performance. Reality construction. In some instances, imagining events that have not occurred can increase the likelihood of the formation of ‘false’ memories or the recollection of events that did not actually take place. Eye-witness testimony Recently, our lab has run a number of studies focusing on the Verbal Overshadowing Effect. This occurs when an eye-witness provides a verbal account of a perpetrator and renders their subsequent selection of that perpetrator from a photo line-up less likely.
Biography
Dr. Reysen graduated with a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Purdue University in 2004. Since that time, his research has focused on how social influences affect performance on cognitive tasks (primarily related to human memory). Additionally, other areas of focus have included how imagining events can influence subsequent memory performance and areas related to eye-witness testimony. More specifically, eye-witnesses are often asked by police investigators to provide a verbal description of a perpetrator to help with rendering a composite sketch of the perpetrator. Research has indicated that providing such a verbal description can hinder accuracy on subsequent line-up tasks.
Courses Taught
- PSY 201 Introduction to Psychology
- PSY 320 Cognitive Psychology
- PSY 394 Lab in Psy: Cognition and Perception
- PSY 704 Advanced Cognitive Psychology
Education
B.A. Psychology, California State University, Fresno (1998)
M.S. Psychology, Purdue University Main Campus (2002)
Ph.D. Psychology, Purdue University Main Campus (2004)