Harriet Allen

Contact

• workRoom B9 Psychology
  University Park
  Nottingham
  NG7 2RD
  UK
• work0115 84 67929
• fax0115 95 15324
• H.A.Allen@nottingham.ac.uk
• http://www.psychology.nottingham.ac.uk/staff/Harriet.Allen/

Biography

I received my BSc and Phd from the University of Nottingham. My PhD investigated low level motion perception. During my BSc I spent a year working for the DRA on Human Factors of simulators and jet fighters.

After my PhD worked in Montreal, at McGill University, again looking at low level vision but this time investigating texture perception and amblyopia (lazy eye). I became interested in how higher level processes such as attention influence low level vision.

I returned to the Uk to spend several years at the University of Birmingham, including 5 as an RCUK fellow. I used behavioural measures and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to investigate the interaction of vision and attention through the adult life span.

I started at Nottingham in September 2011 and am investigating the interaction of attention with perception in multiple contexts including driving, low level and mid level vision and ignoring.

I'm particularly interested in how our brains represent things that we ignore. Do we process and then block these signals, or turn them down at source? Does it matter if we simply attend to something else or if we specifically choose to ignore an object. Do these processes get harder with age?

Research Summary

I measure the neural processes of combining sensory information. My recent research has found differences in the relationship between perception and attention in obesity, autism, and ageing and has… read more

Recent Publications

• ROBBINS CJ, ALLEN HA and CHAPMAN P, 2019. Comparing drivers' visual attention at Junctions in Real and Simulated Environments. Applied ergonomics. 80, 89-101
• CHLOE J. ROBBINS, HARRIET A. ALLEN, KARL A. MILLER and PETER CHAPMAN, 2019. The ‘Saw But Forgot’ error: A role for short-term memory failures in understanding junction crashes? PLOS ONE. 14(9),
• ROBBINS, CHLOE J., ALLEN, HARRIET A. and CHAPMAN, PETER, 2019. Comparing drivers' visual attention at Junctions in Real and Simulated Environments APPLIED ERGONOMICS. 80, 89-101
• HIRST, REBECCA J., KICKS, ELLA C., ALLEN, HARRIET A. and CRAGG, LUCY, 2019. Cross-Modal Interference-Control Is Reduced in Childhood but Maintained in Aging: A Cohort Study of Stimulus- and Response-Interference in Cross-Modal and Unimodal Stroop Tasks JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY-HUMAN PERCEPTION AND PERFORMANCE. 45(5), 553-572

• View all publications

Current Research

I measure the neural processes of combining sensory information. My recent research has found differences in the relationship between perception and attention in obesity, autism, and ageing and has applied this to human factors, vehicle design, and the everyday environment.

• ROBBINS CJ, ALLEN HA and CHAPMAN P, 2019. Comparing drivers' visual attention at Junctions in Real and Simulated Environments. Applied ergonomics. 80, 89-101
• CHLOE J. ROBBINS, HARRIET A. ALLEN, KARL A. MILLER and PETER CHAPMAN, 2019. The ‘Saw But Forgot’ error: A role for short-term memory failures in understanding junction crashes? PLOS ONE. 14(9),
• ROBBINS, CHLOE J., ALLEN, HARRIET A. and CHAPMAN, PETER, 2019. Comparing drivers' visual attention at Junctions in Real and Simulated Environments APPLIED ERGONOMICS. 80, 89-101
• HIRST, REBECCA J., KICKS, ELLA C., ALLEN, HARRIET A. and CRAGG, LUCY, 2019. Cross-Modal Interference-Control Is Reduced in Childhood but Maintained in Aging: A Cohort Study of Stimulus- and Response-Interference in Cross-Modal and Unimodal Stroop Tasks JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY-HUMAN PERCEPTION AND PERFORMANCE. 45(5), 553-572
• ROBBINS CJ, ALLEN HA, MILLER KA and CHAPMAN P, 2019. The 'Saw but Forgot' error: A role for short-term memory failures in understanding junction crashes? PloS one. 14(9), e0222905
• HIRST RJ, KICKS EC, ALLEN HA and CRAGG L, 2019. Cross-modal interference-control is reduced in childhood but maintained in aging: A cohort study of stimulus- and response-interference in cross-modal and unimodal Stroop tasks. Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance. 45(5), 553-572
• ROBBINS, CHLOE J, ALLEN, HARRIET A and CHAPMAN, PETER, 2018. Comparing car drivers' and motorcyclists' opinions about junction crashes. Accident; analysis and prevention. 117, 304-317
• HIRST, REBECCA J, STACEY, JEMAINE E, CRAGG, LUCY, STACEY, PAULA C and ALLEN, HARRIET A, 2018. The threshold for the McGurk effect in audio-visual noise decreases with development Scientific reports. 8(1), 12372
• HIRST, REBECCA J, CRAGG, LUCY and ALLEN, HARRIET A, 2018. Vision dominates audition in adults but not children: A meta-analysis of the Colavita effect Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. (In Press.)
• ROBBINS, CHLOE J., ALLEN, HARRIET A. and CHAPMAN, PETER, 2018. Comparing drivers' gap acceptance for cars and motorcycles at junctions using an adaptive staircase methodology TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART F-TRAFFIC PSYCHOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR. 58, 944-954
• SMITH, DANIELLE, ROPAR, DANIELLE and ALLEN, HARRIET A., 2018. Does stereopsis account for the link between motor and social skills in adults? MOLECULAR AUTISM. 9,
• HIRST, REBECCA J., STACEY, JEMAINE E., CRAGG, LUCY, STACEY, PAULA C. and ALLEN, HARRIET A., 2018. The Threshold for Visually Induced Illusions (the McGurk Effect) Decreases With Development I-PERCEPTION. 9,
• HIRST, REBECCA J., STACEY, JEMAINE E., CRAGG, LUCY, STACEY, PAULA C. and ALLEN, HARRIET A., 2018. The threshold for the McGurk effect in audio-visual noise decreases with development SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 8,
• HIRST, REBECCA J., CRAGG, LUCY and ALLEN, HARRIET A., 2018. Vision dominates audition in adults but not children: A meta-analysis of the Colavita effect NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS. 94, 286-301
• ROBBINS, CHLOE J., ALLEN, HARRIET A. and CHAPMAN, PETER, 2018. Comparing car drivers' and motorcyclists' opinions about junction crashes ACCIDENT ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION. 117, 304-317
• SMITH D, ROPAR D and ALLEN HA, 2018. Does stereopsis account for the link between motor and social skills in adults? Molecular autism. 9, 55
• HIRST RJ, STACEY JE, CRAGG L, STACEY PC and ALLEN HA, 2018. The threshold for the McGurk effect in audio-visual noise decreases with development. Scientific reports. 8(1), 12372
• HIRST RJ, CRAGG L and ALLEN HA, 2018. Vision dominates audition in adults but not children: A meta-analysis of the Colavita effect. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews. 94, 286-301
• ROBBINS CJ, ALLEN HA and CHAPMAN P, 2018. Comparing car drivers' and motorcyclists' opinions about junction crashes. Accident; analysis and prevention. 117, 304-317
• NOUWEN A, CHAMBERS A, CHECHLACZ M, HIGGS S, BLISSETT J, BARRETT TG and ALLEN HA, 2017. Microstructural abnormalities in white and gray matter in obese adolescents with and without type 2 diabetes. NeuroImage. Clinical. 16, 43-51
• SMITH D, ROPAR D and ALLEN HA, 2017. The Integration of Occlusion and Disparity Information for Judging Depth in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of autism and developmental disorders. (In Press.)
• NOUWEN, ARIE, CHAMBERS, ALISON, CHECHLACZ, MAGDALENA, HIGGS, SUZANNE, BLISSETT, JACQUELINE, BARRETT, TIMOTHY G and ALLEN, HARRIET A, 2017. Microstructural abnormalities in white and gray matter in obese adolescents with and without type 2 diabetes. NeuroImage. Clinical. 16, 43-51
• SMITH, DANIELLE, ROPAR, DANIELLE and ALLEN, HARRIET A, 2017. The Integration of Occlusion and Disparity Information for Judging Depth in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of autism and developmental disorders.
• ALLEN, HARRIET, DENNISS, JONATHAN, MCGRAW, PAUL, ALI, IRAM and CRUNDALL, ELIZABETH, 2017. Loss of Acuity as an Explanation for Increased Change Blindness in Older People PERCEPTION. 46(2), 223-223
• DRYDEN, A., ALLEN, H. A., HENSHAW, H. and HEINRICH, A., 2017. The association between cognitive performance and speech-in-noise perception for adult listeners: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis Trends in Hearing. 21, 1-21
• DRYDEN, ADAM, ALLEN, HARRIET A., HENSHAW, HELEN and HEINRICH, ANTJE, 2017. The Association Between Cognitive Performance and Speech-in-Noise Perception for Adult Listeners: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis TRENDS IN HEARING. 21,
• SMITH, DANIELLE, ROPAR, DANIELLE and ALLEN, HARRIET A., 2017. The Integration of Occlusion and Disparity Information for Judging Depth in Autism Spectrum Disorder JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS. 47(10), 3112-3124
• NOUWEN, ARIE, CHAMBERS, ALISON, CHECHLACZ, MAGDALENA, HIGGS, SUZANNE, BLISSETT, JACQUELINE, BARRETT, TIMOTHY G. and ALLEN, HARRIET A., 2017. Microstructural abnormalities in white and gray matter in obese adolescents with and without type 2 diabetes NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL. 16, 43-51
• DRYDEN A, ALLEN HA, HENSHAW H and HEINRICH A, 2017. The Association Between Cognitive Performance and Speech-in-Noise Perception for Adult Listeners: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis. Trends in hearing. 21, 2331216517744675
• ALLEN HA and ROBERTS KL, 2016. Editorial: Perception and Cognition: Interactions in the Aging Brain. Frontiers in aging neuroscience. 8, 130
• ROBERTS KL and ALLEN HA, 2016. Perception and Cognition in the Ageing Brain: A Brief Review of the Short- and Long-Term Links between Perceptual and Cognitive Decline. Frontiers in aging neuroscience. 8, 39
• TUNNEY, R. J., ALLEN, H. A., BONARDI C. and BLAKE, H., 2016. The effects of ageing and exercise on recollection and familiarity based memory processes. In: BRUNO, D., ed., The preservation of Memory Psychology Press.
• ALLEN HA, CHAMBERS A, BLISSETT J, CHECHLACZ M, BARRETT T, HIGGS S and NOUWEN A, 2016. Relationship between Parental Feeding Practices and Neural Responses to Food Cues in Adolescents. PloS one. 11(8), e0157037
• ALLEN, HARRIET A., CHAMBERS, ALISON, BLISSETT, JACQUELINE, CHECHLACZ, MAGDALENA, BARRETT, TIMOTHY, HIGGS, SUZANNE and NOUWEN, ARIE, 2016. Relationship between Parental Feeding Practices and Neural Responses to Food Cues in Adolescents PLOS ONE. 11(8),
• ALLEN, HARRIET A. and ROBERTS, KATHERINE L., 2016. Perception and Cognition: Interactions in the Aging Brain FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE. 8,
• ROBERTS, KATHERINE L. and ALLEN, HARRIET A., 2016. Perception and Cognition in the Ageing Brain: A Brief Review of the Short- and Long-Term Links between Perceptual and Cognitive Decline FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE. 8,
• SMITH, DANIELLE, ROPAR, DANIELLE and ALLEN, HARRIET A., 2015. Visual integration in autism FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE. 9,
• SMITH, D., ROPAR, D. and ALLEN, H. A., 2015. Depth cue integration is automatic in individuals with autism spectrum disorder PERCEPTION. 44(4), 466-466
• SMITH D, ROPAR D and ALLEN HA, 2015. Visual integration in autism. Frontiers in human neuroscience. 9, 387
• ROBERTS KL, ALLEN HA, DENT K and HUMPHREYS GW, 2015. Visual search in depth: The neural correlates of segmenting a display into relevant and irrelevant three-dimensional regions. NeuroImage. 122, 298-305
• SHARPS M, HIGGS S, BLISSETT J, NOUWEN A, CHECHLACZ M, ALLEN HA and ROBINSON E, 2015. Examining evidence for behavioural mimicry of parental eating by adolescent females. An observational study. Appetite. 89, 56-61
• ROBERTS, KATHERINE L., ALLEN, HARRIET A., DENT, KEVIN and HUMPHREYS, GLYN W., 2015. Visual search in depth: The neural correlates of segmenting a display into relevant and irrelevant three-dimensional regions NEUROIMAGE. 122, 298-305
• SCHOFIELD, ANDREW J. and ALLEN, HARRIET A., 2015. Texture amplitude provides only limited support for shape-from-shading in a visual search task and older adults are less able to utilize this cue PERCEPTION. 44, 292-292
• SMITH, DANIELLE, ROPAR, DANIELLE, RADLEY, HANNAH and ALLEN, HARRIET A., 2015. The functional significance of stereopsis does not follow a developmental trajectory PERCEPTION. 44, 379-380
• NOUWEN, A., CHAMBERS, A., ALLEN, H. A., CHECHLACZ, M., HIGGS, S., BLISSETT, J. and BARRETT, T. G., 2013. Microstructural abnormalities in white and gray matter in obese adolescents with and without type 2 diabetes DIABETOLOGIA. 56, S542-S542
• CHAMBERS, A., NOUWEN, A., ALLEN, H. A., CHECHLACZ, M., HIGGS, S., BLISSETT, J. and BARRETT, T., 2013. Brain responses to food cues in adolescents with and without type 2 diabetes DIABETOLOGIA. 56, S542-S542
• HUTCHINSON CV, LEDGEWAY T, ALLEN HA, LONG MD and ARENA A, 2013. Binocular summation of second-order global motion signals in human vision. Vision research. 84, 16-25
• ALLEN, H.A. and PAYNE, H., 2012. Similar behaviour, different brain patterns: age-related changes in neural signatures of ignoring NeuroImage. 59(4), 4113-4125 (In Press.)
• HUTCHINSON CV, ARENA A, ALLEN HA and LEDGEWAY T, 2012. Psychophysical Correlates Of Global Motion Processing In The Aging Visual System: A Critical Review. Neuroscience And Biobehavioral Reviews. (In Press.)
• LONG, M., HUTCHINSON, C., ALLEN, H. A., LEDGEWAY, T. and ARENA, A., 2012. Second-order global motion processing in older adults: effects of local element contrast PERCEPTION. 41(10), 1268-1268
• DENT K, ALLEN HA, BRAITHWAITE JJ and HUMPHREYS GW, 2011. Inhibitory Guidance In Visual Search: The Case Of Movement-Form Conjunctions. Attention, Perception & Psychophysics. (In Press.)
• PAYNE HE and ALLEN HA, 2011. Active Ignoring In Early Visual Cortex. Journal Of Cognitive Neuroscience. 23(8), 2046-58
• MAVRITSAKI, E., HEINKE, D., ALLEN, H., DECO, G. and HUMPHREYS, G.W., 2011. Bridging the gap between physiology and behavior: evidence from the sSoTS model of human visual attention Psychological Review. 118(1), 3-41
• ALLEN HA, HUTCHINSON CV, LEDGEWAY T and GAYLE P, 2010. The Role Of Contrast Sensitivity In Global Motion Processing Deficits In The Elderly. Journal Of Vision. 10(10), 15
• MAVRITSAKI E, ALLEN HA and HUMPHREYS GW, 2010. Decomposing The Neural Mechanisms Of Visual Search Through Model-Based Analysis Of Fmri: Top-Down Excitation, Active Ignoring And The Use Of Saliency By The Right Tpj. Neuroimage. 52(3), 934-46
• HAVANUR, S. G., HUMPHREYS, G. W. and ALLEN, H. A., 2010. Configural grouping interacts with spatiotemporal and surface feature cues in visual search PERCEPTION. 39, 186-187
• ALLEN, H. A. and PAYNE, H., 2010. Changing patterns of ignoring distractions in the older adult brain PERCEPTION. 39, 120-120
• KELLY, N. and ALLEN, H. A., 2010. Factors affecting attentional modulation during visual object detection PERCEPTION. 39, 122-122
• ALLEN HA, HUMPHREYS GW, COLIN J and NEUMANN H, 2009. Ventral Extra-Striate Cortical Areas Are Required For Human Visual Texture Segmentation. Journal Of Vision. 9(9), 2.1-14
• HUMPHREYS GW, ALLEN HA and MAVRITSAKI E, 2009. Using Biologically Plausible Neural Models To Specify The Functional And Neural Mechanisms Of Visual Search. Progress In Brain Research. 176, 135-48
• ALLEN, H.A. and HUMPHREYS, G.W., 2009. Direct tactile stimulation of dorsal occipito-temporal cortex in a visual agnosic. Current Biology. 19(12), 1044-1049
• SNOW, J.C., ALLEN, H.A., RAFAL, R.D. and HUMPHREYS, G.W., 2009. Impaired attentional selection following lesions to human pulvinar:evidence for homology between human and monkey Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 106(10), 4054-4059
• MEVORACH, C., SHALEV, L., ALLEN, H.A. and HUMPHREYS, G.W., 2009. The left intraparietal sulcus modulates the selection of low salient stimuli Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 21(2), 303-315
• SRIKANTH, R., ALLEN, H. A., CHEN, V. J. and DEB, S., 2009. A PILOT STUDY TO LOOK AT AREAS OF ACTIVATION IN THE BRAIN FOR DIFFERENT EMOTIONS USING INTERNATIONAL AFFECTIVE PICTURE SYSTEM (IAPS) JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY. 80(7), 822-822
• ALLEN, H.A., HUMPHREYS, G.W. and MATTHEWS, P.M., 2008. A neural marker of content-specific active ignoring Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance. 34(2), 286-297
• ALLEN HA and HUMPHREYS GW, 2007. Previewing Distracters Reduces Their Effective Contrast. Vision Research. 47(23), 2992-3000
• ALLEN HA and HUMPHREYS GW, 2007. A Psychophysical Investigation Into The Preview Benefit In Visual Search. Vision Research. 47(6), 735-45
• ALLEN HA, HUMPHREYS GW and BRIDGE H, 2007. Ventral Extra-Striate Cortical Areas Are Required For Optimal Orientation Averaging. Vision Research. 47(6), 766-75
• MANSOURI B, HESS RF and ALLEN HA, 2007. Orientation variance discrimination in amblyopia. Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, image science, and vision. 24(9), 2499-504
• HESS RF, MANSOURI B, DAKIN SC and ALLEN HA, 2006. Integration Of Local Motion Is Normal In Amblyopia. Journal Of The Optical Society Of America. A, Optics, Image Science, And Vision. 23(5), 986-92
• ELLEMBERG D, ALLEN HA and HESS RF, 2006. Second-Order Spatial Frequency And Orientation Channels In Human Vision. Vision Research. 46(17), 2798-803
• MANSOURI B, ALLEN HA and HESS RF, 2005. Detection, Discrimination And Integration Of Second-Order Orientation Information In Strabismic And Anisometropic Amblyopia. Vision Research. 45(18), 2449-60
• MANSOURI B, HESS RF, ALLEN HA and DAKIN SC, 2005. Integration, Segregation, And Binocular Combination. Journal Of The Optical Society Of America. A, Optics, Image Science, And Vision. 22(1), 38-48
• MANSOURI B, ALLEN HA, HESS RF, DAKIN SC and EHRT O, 2004. Integration Of Orientation Information In Amblyopia. Vision Research. 44(25), 2955-69
• ALLEN HA, LEDGEWAY T and HESS RF, 2004. Poor Encoding Of Position By Contrast-Defined Motion. Vision Research. 44(17), 1985-99
• ELLEMBERG D, ALLEN HA and HESS RF, 2004. Investigating Local Network Interactions Underlying First- And Second-Order Processing. Vision Research. 44(15), 1787-97
• DERRINGTON AM, ALLEN HA and DELICATO LS, 2004. Visual Mechanisms Of Motion Analysis And Motion Perception. Annual Review Of Psychology. 55, 181-205
• MANSOURI, B, ALLEN, HA, DAKIN, SC and HESS, RF, 2004. Can amblyopes integrate second-order orientation information? INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE. 45, U152-U152
• ALLEN HA and LEDGEWAY T, 2003. Attentional Modulation Of Threshold Sensitivity To First-Order Motion And Second-Order Motion Patterns. Vision Research. 43(27), 2927-36
• ALLEN HA, HESS RF, MANSOURI B and DAKIN SC, 2003. Integration Of First- And Second-Order Orientation. Journal Of The Optical Society Of America. A, Optics, Image Science, And Vision. 20(6), 974-86
• MANSOURI, B., ALLEN, H. A., HESS, R. F. and DAKIN, S. C., 2003. Can amblyopes combine second - order orientation information across space? Society for Neuroscience Abstract Viewer and Itinerary Planner. 2003, Abstract No. 567.35
• ALLEN, HA and DERRINGTON, AM, 2001. Distracting attention from Contrast-defined motion. INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE. 42(4), S945-S945
• ALLEN HA and DERRINGTON AM, 2000. Slow Discrimination Of Contrast-Defined Expansion Patterns. Vision Research. 40(7), 735-44
• ALLEN, HA and DERRINGTON, AM, 2000. Slow discrimination of contrast-defined expansion patterns VISION RESEARCH. 40(7), 735-744
• ALLEN, HA and DERRINGTON, AM, 1999. Contrast-defined motion will not support optic flow INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE. 40(4), S426-S426