Publications

Future Minds Lab is housed inside the University of New South Wales (UNSW), one of Australia’s leading research universities in science and psychology (ranked 21st top psychology department in the world (QS).

We have published more than 50 academic articles, many in very high impact peer-reviewed journals including Nature Communications, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Scientific Reports, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Psychological Science (and here) and Current Biology. Many of these have gained significant attention in the media (TV, radio, newspaper), online (e.g. Sydney Morning Herald, VICE, Neuroscience News, NY Post) and on social media. The lab has received substantial research funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Our 350m2 lab space includes a large workshop area, brain stimulation lab (TMS and tDCS), EEG lab, VR studio, cognitive testing rooms and research offices. We own a number of different state-of-the-art wearable bio-tracker devices, eye trackers, virtual reality headsets alongside our brain imaging technology. We use and have pioneered the Agile Science Methodology – a practical guide to both practising and reporting scientific discoveries - the ‘Lean Startup’ for the world of science.

Below is a full list of our peer-reviewed research publications.

Chang, S. & Pearson J. (In Press). The Functional effects of voluntary and involuntary visual phantom color on conscious awareness. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.

Martin, A.J., Malmberg, L-E., Kennett, R., Mansour, M., Papworth, B., & Pearson, J. (in press). What happens when students reflect on their self-efficacy during a test? Exploring test experience and test outcome in science. Learning and Individual Differences.

Pearson J. (2019). The Human Imagination: The cognitive neuroscience of visual mental imagery. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 1-11.

Koenig-Robert, R., & Pearson, J. (2019). Decoding the contents and strength of imagery before volitional engagement. Scientific Reports.

Kwok, E. L.*, Leys, G.*, Koenig-Robert, R & Pearson, J. (2019). Measuring Thought Control Failure: Sensory Mechanisms and Individual Differences. Psychological Science.

Pearson, J. & Keogh, R. (2019). Redefining visual working memory: A cognitive strategy, brain region approach. Current Directions in Psychological Science.

Chiou, R., Rich, A. N., Rogers, S. & Pearson, J. (2018). Exploring the nature of synaesthetic experience: dissociations from colour perception and imagery. Cognition.

Vlassova, A. & Pearson, J. (2018). Unconscious decisional learning improves unconscious information processing. Cognition.

Keogh, R., & Pearson, J. (2018). The blind mind: No sensory visual imagery in aphantasia. Cortex.

Chang, S., & Pearson, J. (2018). The functional effects of prior motion imagery and motion perception. Cortex.

Atasoy, S., Deco, G. Kringelbach, M. L. & Pearson, J. (2017). Harmonic brain modes: a unifying framework for linking space and time in brain dynamics. The Neuroscientist.

Keogh, R., & Pearson, J. (2017, March 3). The blind mind: No sensory imagery in aphantasia. PsyArXiv osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/pdjb9

Keogh, R., & Pearson, J. (2017). The perceptual and phenomenal capacity of mental imagery. Cognition.

Keogh, R., Bergmann, J., & Pearson, J. (2016). Cortical excitability controls the strength of mental imagery. bioRxiv. http://doi.org/10.1101/093690

Koenig-Robert, R., & Pearson, J. (2016). Decoding the nonconscious dynamics of thought generation. bioRxiv. http://doi.org/10.1101/090712

Pearson, J., Chiou, R., Rogers, R., Wicken, M., Heitmann, S., & Ermentrout, B. (2016). Sensory dynamics of visual hallucinations in the normal population. eLife 2016;5:e17072 [Business Insider] [LiveScience] [Science alert] [Daily Mail] - watch Joel Pearson talking about this research here

Payzan-LeNestour, E., Balleine, B. Berrada,T & Pearson, J. (2016). Variance after-effects distort risk perception in humans. Current Biology.

Lulfityanto, G., Donkin, C. & Pearson, J. (2016). Measuring Intuition: Non-conscious Emotional Information Boosts Decision Accuracy and Confidence. Psychological Science. [Sydney Morning Herald press] [The Huffington Post] [LiveScience] [The Juice Daily] PDF of original paper

Atasoy, S. Donnelly, I. & Pearson, J. (2016). Human brain networks function in connectome specific harmonic waves. Nature Communications. 7.

Bergmann, J., Pilatus, U., Genç, E., Kohler, A., Singer, W. & Pearson, J. (2016). V1 surface size predicts GABA concentration in medial occipital cortex. NeuroImage. 124A, 654–662.

Pearson, J., Naselaris, T., Holmes E.A., & Kosslyn S. M., (2015). Mental imagery: Functional mechanisms and clinical applications. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 19(10), 590-602.

Bergmann, J., Genç, E., Kohler, A., Singer, W. & Pearson, J. (2015).  Smaller primary visual cortex is associated with stronger, but less precise mental imagery. Cerebral Cortex. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhv186

Pearson, J. & Kosslyn S.M. (2015). The Heterogeneity of Mental Representation: Ending the Imagery Debate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Dieter, K.C., Tadin, D. & Pearson, J. (2015). Motion-induced blindness continues outside visual awareness and without attention. Scientific Reports.5, 11841.

Pearson, J & Westbrook, F. (2015). Phantom perception: voluntary and involuntary non-retinal vision. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 19(5), 278–284. 

Wassell, J. Rogers, S. Felmingam, K.L. Bryant, R.A. & Pearson, J. (2015). Sex hormones predict the sensory strength and vividness of mental imagery. Biological Psychology. 107, 61–68.

Shine J., Keogh, R., O’Callaghan, C. Muller, A., Lewis, S. Pearson, J. (2015). Imagine that: Elevated sensory mental imagery in individuals with Parkinson’s disease and visual hallucinations. Proceedings of Royal Society: B. 282: 20142047.

Vlassova, A., Donkin, C. & Pearson, J. (2014). Unconscious information changes decision accuracy but not confidence. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Khuu, S. K., Chung, C.Y.L., Lord, S. & Pearson, J. (2014). Unconscious local motion alters global image motion. PLoS One. 9(12): e112804.

Wassell, J. Rogers, S. Felmingam, K.L. Pearson, J. & Bryant, R.A. (2014). Progesterone and Mental Imagery Interactively Predict Emotional Memories. Psychoneuroendocrinology.

Keogh, R. & Pearson, J. (2014). The sensory strength of voluntary visual imagery predicts visual working memory capacity. Journal of Vision. 14 (12):7, 1-13.

Bergmann, J., Genç, E., Kohler, A., Singer, W.A. & Pearson, J. (2014). Neural anatomy of primary visual cortex limits visual working memory. Cerebral Cortex.

Pearson, J. (2014). New directions in mental imagery research: the binocular rivalry technique and decoding fMRI patterns. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 23(3), 178-183.

De Zilva*, D., Vu*, L., Newell, B.R. & Pearson, J. (2013). Exposure is not enough: Suppressing stimuli from awareness can abolish the mere exposure effect. PLoS ONE. 8(10): e77726.

Chang, S., Lewis, D.E. & Pearson, J. (2013). The Functional Effects of Colour Perception and Colour Imagery. Journal of Vision, 13(10):4, 1-10.

Vlassova, A. & Pearson, J. (2013). Look before you leap: sensory memory improves decision-making. Psychological Science. 24(9), 1635-1643.

Lewis, D. O’reilly, M, Khuu, S. & Pearson, J. (2013). Conditioning the mind’s eye: Associative learning with voluntary mental imagery. Clinical Psychological Science. 1(4) 390-400.

Lewis, D.E., Pearson J., Khuu S.K. (2013) The Color “Fruit”: Object Memories Defined by Color. PLoS ONE 8(5): e64960

Pearson J., & Kosslyn, S.M.  (2013). Mental Imagery. Frontiers Perception science and Frontiers In Neuroscience. 4:198.

Bradley, C. & Pearson, J. (2012). The sensory components of high-capacity iconic memory and visual working memory. Front. Psychology 3:355.

Ashley, S. & Pearson, J. (2012). When more equals less: overtraining inhibits perceptual learning owing to lack of wakeful consolidation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. Sydney Morning Herald press

Rademaker, R. & Pearson, J. (2012). Training visual imagery: Improvements of metacognition, but not imagery strength. Frontiers in Perception Science.

Pearson, J. (2012). Sates of Consciousness. In Passer, M. & Smith, R. (Eds),  Psychology: The science of mind and behaviour. Australian ed. Only. (pp. 173-212). McGraw-Hill. Aus.

Pearson, J. (2012). Associative Learning: Pavlovian Conditioning Without Awareness. Current Biology, 22, 12, R495-R496.

Keogh, R. & Pearson, J. (2011). Mental Imagery and visual working memory. PLoS ONE 6(12) e2922.

Pearson, J. Rademaker, R. & Tong, F. (2011). Evaluating the mind’s eye: The metacognition of visual imagery. Psychological Science. 22, 1535-1542.

Knapen, T., Brascamp, J., Pearson, J., van Ee, R & Blake R. (2011). The role of frontal and parietal areas in bistable perception. Journal of Neuroscience. 31(28), 10293-10301.

Sherwood R, & Pearson J (2010). Closing the Mind's Eye: Incoming Luminance Signals Disrupt Visual Imagery. PLoS ONE 5(12): e15217. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0015217.

Pearson, J. (2010). Inner Vision: Seeing the minds eye. Psyche, 16 (1).

Ling, S., Pearson, J. & Blake, R. (2009). Dissociation of neural mechanisms underlying orientation processing in humans. Current Biology. 19, 1458-1462.

Brascamp, J., Pearson, J., Blake, R. &  van den Berg, A. (2009). Intermittent ambiguous stimuli: implicit memory causes periodic perceptual alternations. Journal of Vision, 9(3), 3, 1-23.

Pearson, J., Clifford, CWG. & Tong F. (2008). The functional impact of mental imagery on conscious perception. Current Biology. 18, 982-986.

Pearson, J. & Brascamp, J. (2008). Sensory memory for ambiguous vision. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 12, 334-341.

Pearson, J., Tadin, D. & Blake, R. (2007). The effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation on visual rivalry. Journal of Vision, 7(7):2, 1-11, http://journalofvision.org/7/7/2/

Tong, F. & Pearson, J. (2007). Vision. In B. Baars (Ed.) Cognition, Brain and Consciousness. Elsevier press.

Pearson, J. & Clifford, C.W.G. (2005). Suppressed patterns alter vision during binocular rivalry Current Biology, 15, 2142-2148.

Pearson, J. & Clifford, C.W.G. (2005). Mechanisms Selectively engaged in rivalry: normal vision habituates, rivalrous vision primes Vision Research. 45, 707-714.

Pearson, J. & Clifford, C.W.G. (2005). When your brain decides what you see: Grouping across monocular, binocular, and stimulus rivalry. Psychological Science.  16, 516 519.

Pearson, J. & Clifford  C.W.G. (2004). Determinants of visual awareness following interruptions during rivalry. Journal of Vision, 4(3), 196-202, http://journalofvision.org/4/3/6/, doi:10.1167/4.3.6.

Watson, T.L. Pearson, J. &  Clifford, C. W. G. (2004). Perceptual grouping of biological motion promotes binocular rivalry. Current Biology. 14, 1670-1674.

Clifford, C.W.G., Spehar, B. & Pearson, J. (2004). Motion Transparency Promotes Synchronous Perceptual Binding. Vision Research. 44, 3073-3080.

Clifford, C.W.G., Holcombe, A. & Pearson, J. (2004). Dynamics of binding Global form. Journal of Vision. 4(12), 1090-1101, http://journalofvision.org/4/12/8/, doi:10.1167/4.12.8.

Clifford, C.W.G, Pearson, J., Forte, J.D., & Spehar, B. (2003). Colour and Luminance Selectivity of Spatial and Temporal Interactions in Orientation Perception. Vision Research. 43, 2885–2893.

Clifford, C.W.G., Arnold, D.H. & Pearson, J. (2003). A paradox of temporal perception revealed by a stimulus oscillating in colour and orientation, Vision Research. 43,  2245–2253.