Research Interests:
Dr. Bertenthal's research focuses on the origins and early development of perception, action and representation. It is motivated by a conceptual framework grounded in the developing organization of the brain that is sensitive to the dynamic interplay between neural maturation and environmental stimulation. This framework was articulated in his 1996 Annual Review of Psychology chapter, and emphasizes a structural and functional dissociation between the perceptual control of actions and the representation of objects, people, and events. His laboratory is well prepared to address these issues for a number of reasons including: (1) significant research experience studying the development of the coupling between perception and action (e.g., posture, reaching, locomotion, etc.), as well as the early representation of objects and their properties; (2) familiarity and experience with a multidisciplinary set of research methods and techniques, such as biomechanics, signal processing, psychophysics, electrophysiology, and chronometric approaches; (3) experience with linear and nonlinear modeling approaches to complex sets of data; and (4) a large network of collaborators who support and complement the primary mission of this research. Recent research includes studies investigating the early development of the perception of motion information, visual control of posture and reaching, object tracking, object identity, perception of biological motions using psychophysical and neuroimaging approaches, and planning actions in real time vs. from memory.
Further information on Bennett Bertenthal's research. |
