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Human cognition is characterized by a remarkable ability to quickly adapt to different tasks, each with its own unique set of challenges and demands. This ability is primarily supported by cognitive control, a domain-general mechanism that allows us to selectively focus on task-relevant information, while simultaneously ignoring task-irrelevant information.

The goal of my research is to understand and characterize the relationship between cognitive control and other cognitive functions, and specifically, how changes in cognitive control (e.g., across the lifespan) underlie changes in attention and memory. To this end, my research utilizes behavioural and eye tracking techniques in both young and healthy older adults to examine how cognitive control (a) influences memory encoding via attentional modulation, (b) shapes the structure and content of formed memory representations, and (c) regulates mnemonic interference.

More information on my research and a full list of publications can be found on my .

Interests

• Cognitive Control
• Attention
• Memory
• Aging

Representative Publications

Amer, T., Wynn, J.S., & Hasher, L. (2022). Cluttered memory representations shape cognition in old age. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 26, 255-267.

Amer, T., Ngo, K.W.J., Weeks, J.C., & Hasher, L. (2020). Spontaneous distractor reactivation with age: Evidence for bound target-distractor representations in memory. Psychological Science, 31, 1315-1324.

Amer, T., Giovanello, K.S., Nichol, D.R., Hasher, L. & Grady, C.L. (2019). Neural correlates of enhanced memory for meaningful associations with age. Cerebral Cortex, 29, 4568-4579.

Amer, T., Campbell, K. L., & Hasher, L. (2016). Cognitive control as a double-edged sword. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 20, 905-915.

Amer, T., & Hasher, L. (2014). Conceptual processing of distractors by older but not younger adults. Psychological Science, 25, 2252-2258.