Author Archives: Audrey Lustig

About Audrey Lustig

Audrey Lustig received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania where she conducted research with Amishi Jha. She is a fifth-year graduate student in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Illinois where she works with Diane Beck. She specializes in visual perception, attention and neuroimaging.

Memory distortions: Not just for long-term memories

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Audrey Lustig

Consider the following list of words: Spring Egg Basket Jellybean April Hunt Ham Sunday Chocolate Peeps Bonnet If you had to memorize this list for a test, you’d actually do a pretty good job.  Why?  Well, you wouldn’t have to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cognitive Psychology, Sensation & Perception | 1 Comment

Visual clutter: It’s worse than you think

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Audrey Lustig

Take a look at your desk—is it full of junk?  If so, you may be thinking that, while it’s not an ideal situation, your messy desk isn’t so bad.  Sure, it takes you a little longer to find stuff, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Horizontal Stripes: Friend or Foe?

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Audrey Lustig

For years, the fashion world has told us that vertical stripes make the body look slimmer because they draw the eyes up and down.  Horizontal stripes supposedly do the exact opposite, drawing attention to the widest parts of the body … Continue reading →

Posted in Sensation & Perception, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Elements of style: How science informs fashion design

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Audrey Lustig

How do people judge fashion design?  Fashion experts are notorious for using vague criteria, saying things like “I know it when I see it.”  This kind of response implies that good design can’t be analyzed objectively.  In a recent interview, … Continue reading →

Posted in Sensation & Perception | 20 Comments

Looking for love this Valentine’s Day? Try wearing red.

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Audrey Lustig

This time of year, both fans of Valentine’s Day and V-day haters are bound to have a few things on the brain.   One major association we have with the holiday is love and attraction.  Another big one is the color … Continue reading →

Posted in Sensation & Perception, Social Psychology | 7 Comments

4 Things to Keep in Mind When You’re Reading About fMRI

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Audrey Lustig

In an attempt to increase the “sexy” factor of brain imaging studies (what–you don’t think deoxygenated hemoglobin sounds sexy?), some press articles omit important details or subtleties that can distort, exaggerate, or even misrepresent the original results. To continue our … Continue reading →

Posted in Cognitive Neuroscience | 4 Comments

Stress improves perception, but at a cost

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Audrey Lustig

We all have a sense that stress affects the way we see and evaluate our surroundings—but does it help or hurt us?  In the literature on how stress affects perception, there are some conflicting reports.  On the one hand, stress … Continue reading →

Posted in Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Sensation & Perception | 1 Comment