Dr. Shannon Robertson

Associate Professor
23 Ayers Hall
Office phone: (256) 782-5804
srobertson3@jsu.edu

Shannon Robertson

Courses Taught

  • Principles of Psychology
  • Biological Psychology
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Adult Development and Aging
  • Research Methods and Statistics

Academic/Research Interests

  • The bulk of my research has centered on various issues pertaining to cognitive aging, especially age differences in the variability of cognitive performance. More specifically, I have examined age-differences in the moment-to-moment inconsistency in performance on tasks of speeded decision making, visual search, and working memory. My current research into the matter examines whether individual and age differences in fluctuations of executive control can account for levels of prospective memory performance.
  • I have also recently become interested in behavioral economics, especially in the context of aging. Specifically, I have been working with several colleagues on studies exploring the roles of age differences in working memory and speed of decision making in risky and impulsive choices.

Areas of Concentration

  • Cognition
  • Cognitive Aging
  • Behavioral Economics

Education

  • B.A., Texas A&M - Kingsville, Psychology and Sociology, 1999
  • M.S., Texas A&M - Kingsville, Gerontology, 2001
  • M.A., Washington University in St. Louis, Psychology, 2004
  • Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis, Psychological Science, 2009

Publications

  • Myerson, J., Robertson, S., & Hale, S. (2007). Aging and intraindividual variability in performance: Analyses of response time distributions. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 88, 319-337.
  • Robertson, S., Myerson, J., & Hale, S. (2006). Are there age differences in intra-individual variability in working memory performance? Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 61B, P18-P24 .
  • Robertson, S. (2010, July). Visitor attention from the perspective of a cognitive psychologist. Paper presented at the 23 rd Annual Visitors Studies Association Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
  • Robertson, S. (2010, April). Age differences in fluctuations of executive control revealed by performance on prospective memory tasks. Poster session presented at the Cognitive Aging Conference, Atlanta, GA.
  • Robertson, S., Myerson, J., & Hale, S. (2008, April). Between-subject and within-subject variability in the performance of speeded visuospatial tasks by younger and older adults. Poster session presented at the Cognitive Aging Conference, Atlanta, GA.
  • Robertson, S., Myerson, J., & Hale, S. (2006, November). Does intra-individual variability in response times increase with age or when more shifts of attention are required? Poster session presented at the Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Houston, TX.
  • Robertson, S., Myerson, J., & Hale, S. (2006, April). Limitations on application of the EZ-Diffusion model to age differences in response times . Poster session presented at the Cognitive Aging Conference, Atlanta, GA.
  • Robertson, S., Myerson, J., & Hale, S. (2004, April). Are there age differences in intra-individual variability in working memory performance? Poster session presented at the Cognitive Aging Conference, Atlanta, GA.
  • Hale, S., Myerson, J., Robertson, S., & Zar-Kessler, C. (2002, April) Response time distributions and conditional accuracy functions of younger and older adults performing a same-different judgment task. Poster session presented at the Cognitive Aging Conference, Atlanta, GA.