Robert G Morrison

Associate Professor, Neuroscience, Undergraduate Program Director

Art Website: www.studiotheia.com
CV: Download

Advising

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Education

Post-Doc -  Northwestern University - Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory (Ken Paller, PI)
Ph.D. - University of California, Los Angeles - Cognitive Neuroscience
M.A. - University of California, Los Angeles - Cognitive Psychology
M.A. - Cleveland State University - Experimental Psychology
B.S. - Wheaton College - Chemistry

Research Interests

I am interested in understanding how humans think.  Questions of interest include:

• How does the brain recognize and use structure in information (e.g. analogical reasoning) and how is this impacted by differences in cognitive control (i.e., Executive Functions)?
• How do emotions impact our ability to control information in our mind and how is this impacted by things like exposure to media violence or video gaming.
• How does our knowledge about the world interact with our ability think rationally, and how do personality factors such as Open-Mindedness impact this interaction
• How does the brain enable creative behavior?

My collaborators and I use a variety of tools including brain imaging (EEG/ERP), brain stimulation (tACS/tDCS), neuropsychology and computational modeling.  We also study these topics in young children and older adults.  To learn more about what we are working on right now take a look at several current projects.

If you would like to be considered for the lab please email Dr. Morrison with a short introduction and also fill out this survey.

Courses Taught

First Year Research Experience - FYRE (UNIV 102)
Psychology Advising and Career Development (PSYC 201)
Lab in Exerimental Psychology: Cognition (PSYC 314)
Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience (PSYC 382)
Capstone in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience (PSYC 387)
Seminar in Cognitive Neuroscience (Graduate PSYC 435)
Neuroscience Seminar (NEUR 300)
Psychology of Creativity (HONR 204d Science and Society)

Publications/Research Listings

Researchgate: Robert Morrison4
Google Scholar: Robert G Morrison
PubMed: Morrison, Robert G
Publications View Publications Here

Schiller, D., Yu, A.N.C., Alia-Klein, N., Becker, S., Cromwell, H.C., Dolcos, F., Eslinger, P.J., Frewen, P., Kemp, A.H.,Pace-Schott, E.F.,Raber, J., Silton, R.L.,Stefanova, E.,Williams, J.H.G.,Abe, N.,Aghajani, M.,Albrecht, F.,Alexander, R., Anders, S….Morrison, R.G….Lowe, L. (2022). The Human Affectome. PsyArxiv 

Egbert, A.H., Stockdale, L.A., Nicholson, L.M., Sroka, B.S., Szpak, R.S., Morrison, R.G., Silton, R.L., & Bohnert, A. (2022). Delicioxus and difficult to resist?: Inhibitory control differs after exposure to food and non-food commercials. Appetite.  Download PDF

Jones, L.L., Kmiecik, M.J., Irwin, J.L., & Morrison, R.G. (2022). Differential effects of semantic distance, distractor salience, and relations in verbal analogy. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. doi.org/10.3758/s13423-022-02062-8 Request PDF

Guarino, K., Wakefield-Connell, E., Morrison, R.G., & Richland, L.E. (2022). Why do children struggle on analogical reasoning tasks? Considering the role of problem format by measuring visual attention. Acta Psychologica, 224, 103505. doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103505 Download PDF

Guarino, K., Wakefield-Connell, E., Morrison, R.G., & Richland, L.E. (2021). Exploring how visual attention, inhibitory control, and co-speech gesture instruction contribute to children's analogical reasoning ability. Cognitive Development, 58. Download PDF

Rainey, V.R, Stockdale, L., Flores-Lamb, V., Kahrilas, I., Mullins, T.L., Gjorgieva, E., Morrison, R.G., Silton, R.L. (2021). Neural Differences in the Temporal Cascade of Reactive and Proactive Control for Bilinguals and Monolinguals. Psychophysiology. Download PDF

Alexander, R., Aragón, O.R.,  Bookwala, J., Cherbuin, N., Gatt, J.M., Kahrilas, I.J., Kästner, N., Lawrence, A., Lowe, L., Morrison, R.G., Mueller, S.C., Nusslock, R., Papadelis, C., Polnaszek, K.L., Richter, H., Silton, R.L., & Styliadis, C. (2021). The neuroscience of positive emotions and affect: Implications for cultivating happiness and wellbeing. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 121, 220–249. Download PDF

Stockdale, L., Morrison, R.G., & Silton, R.L. (2019). The influence of stimulus valence on perceptual processing of facial expressions and subsequent response inhibition. Psychophysiology. Doi: 10.1111/psyp.13467 Download PDF

Guarino, K., Wakefield-Connell, E.M., Morrison, R.G., & Richland, L.E. (2019). Looking patterns during analogical reasoning: Generalizable or task-specific? In A.K. Goel, C.M. Seifert, & C. Freksa (Eds.), Proceedings of the 41st Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 387-392). Montreal, QB: Cognitive Science Society. Download PDF

Kmeicik, M., Brisson, R., & Morrison, R.G. (2019). The time course of semantic and relational processing during verbal analogical reasoning. Brain and Cognition, 129, 25-34. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.11.012 Download PDF

Doumas, L.A.A. Morrison, R.G. & Richland, L.E. (2018). Individual differences in relational learning and analogical reasoning: A computational model of longitudinal change. Frontiers in Psychology. Doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01235 Download Open Access PDF

Stockdale, L., Morrison, R. G., Palumbo, R., Garbarino, J., & Silton, R. L. (2017).  Cool, callous, and in control: Superior inhibitory control in frequent players of video games with violent content. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience,12(12). Doi: 10.1093/scan/nsx115. Download Open Access PDF

Bharani, K., Paller, K.A., Reber, P.J., Weintraub, S., Yanar, J. & Morrison, R.G. (2016). Compensatory processing during rule-based category learning in older adults.  Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 23(3), 304-26. Doi: 10.1080/13825585.2015.1091438 Download PDF

Morrison, R.G., Reber, P.J., Bharani, K.L., & Paller, K.A. (2015). Dissociation of category-learning systems via brain potentials. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 9, 389. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2015.00389 Download Open Access PDF

Morrison, R.G., McCarthy, S., & Molony, J., (2015). The experience of insight follows incubation in the compound remote associates task. Journal of Creative Behavior. Doi: 10.1002/jocb.96 Download PDF

Stockdale, L., ^†Morrison, R. G., Kmieck, M.J., Garbarino, J., & Silton, R. L. (2015).  Emotionally anesthetized: Media violence induces neural changes during emotional face processing. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsv025 Download PDF

Morrison, R. G. (2014). Problem solving. In M. Aminoff & R. Daroff (Eds.), The encyclopedia of the neurological sciences, 2^nd edition, vol. 3, pp. 978-980. Oxford UK: Academic Press. Download PDF

Rainey, V.R., Flores, V., Morrison, R.G., David, E.J.R., & Silton, R.L (2014). Mental health risk factors associated with childhood language brokering. Journal of multilingual and multicultural development, 25(5), 463-478. doi: 10.1080/01434632.2012.870180 Download PDF

Kmiecik, M., & Morrison, R.G. (2013).Semantic Distance Modulates the N400 Event-Related Potential in Verbal Analogical Reasoning.In M. Knauff, M. Pauen, & N. Sebanz (Eds.), Proceedings of the 35th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 799-804). Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society. Download PDF

Morrison, R.G. (2013). Analogical reasoning, models of development. In H. Pashler (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the mind. (Vol. 1, pp. 27-29). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781452257044.n10 Download PDF

Holyoak, K.J., & Morrison, R.G. (Eds.) (2012). Oxford Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning.  New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Purchase Book / Download Introduction PDF

Holyoak, K.J., & Morrison, R.G. (2012). Thinking and reasoning: A reader’s guide. In K.J. Holyoak & R.G. Morrison (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning. New York: Oxford University Press. Download PDF

Knowlton, B.J., Morrison, R.G., Hummel, J.E., & Holyoak, K.J. (2012). A neurocomputational system for relational reasoning. Trends in Cognitive Science, 16(7), 373-381 .doi.: 10.1016/j.tics.2012.06.002 Download PDF

Morrison, R.G., & Knowlton, B.J. (2012). Neurocognitive Methods in Higher Cognition. In K.J. Holyoak & R.G. Morrison (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning (pp. 67-89). New York: Oxford University Press. Download PDF

Sweis, B.M., Bharani, K.L. & Morrison, R.G.  (2012). The time course of inhibition in analogical reasoning:  An event-related potential approach. In N. Miyake, D. Peebles, & R. P. Cooper (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (1030-1035). Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society. Download PDF

Morrison, R.G., Doumas, L.A.A., & Richland, L.E. (2011). A computational account of children's analogical reasoning:  Balancing inhibitory control in working memory and relational representation. Developmental Science, 14(3), 516-529. doi:10.1111/j.1467-7687.2010.00999.x Download PDF

Richland L.E., Chan, T-K., Morrison, R.G., & Au, T.K-F. (2010). Young children’s analogical reasoning across cultures: Similarities and differences. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 105, 146-153. Download PDF

Richland, L.E., & Morrison, R.G. (2010). Is analogical reasoning just another measure of executive functioning? Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 4, 180. Download Open Access PDF

Morrison, R.G., & Cho, S. (2008). Neurocognitive process constraints on analogy:  What changes to allow children to reason like adults? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 31, 391-392. PMID: 18662450 Download PDF

Krawczyk, D. C., Morrison, R. G., Viskontas, I., Holyoak, K. J., Chow, T. W., Mendez, M., Miller, B.L., & Knowlton, B. J. (2008). Distraction during relational reasoning:  The role of prefrontal cortex in interference control. Neuropsychologia, 46, 2020-2032. PMID: 18355881 Download PDF

Lu, H., Morrison, R.G., Hummel, J.E., & Holyoak, K.J. (2006). Role of gamma-band synchronization in priming of form discrimination for multi-object displays. Journal of Experimental Psychology:  Human Perception and Performance, 32, 610-617. PMID: 16822127 Download PDF

Richland, L.E., Morrison, R.G., & Holyoak, K.J. (2006). Children’s development of analogical reasoning: Insights from scene analogy problems. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 94, 249–273. PMID: 16620867 Download PDF

Holyoak, K.J., & Morrison, R.G. (Eds.) (2005). Cambridge Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning.  New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Purchase Book / Download Introduction PDF

Holyoak, K.J., & Morrison, R.G. (2005). Thinking and reasoning:  A reader’s guide.  In K.J. Holyoak & R.G. Morrison (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning.  (pp. 1-9). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Download PDF

Morrison, R.G. (2005). Thinking in working memory.  In K.J. Holyoak & R.G. Morrison (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning (pp. 457-473).  New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Download PDF

Morrison, R.G., Krawczyk, D., Holyoak, K.J., Hummel, J.E., Chow, T., Miller, B., & Knowlton, B.J. (2004). A neurocomputational model of analogical reasoning and its breakdown in frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 16, 260-271. doi:10.1162/089892904322984553 Download PDF

Viskontas, I.V., Morrison, R.G., Holyoak, K.J., Hummel, J.E., & Knowlton, B.J.  (2004) Relational integration, inhibition and analogical reasoning in older adults. Psychology and Aging, 19, 581-591. doi:10.1037/0882-7974.19.4.581 Download PDF

Morrison, R. G., & Holyoak, K. J. (2003). Problem solving. In M. Aminoff & R. Daroff (Eds.), The encyclopedia of the neurological sciences (Vol. 1, pp. 60-62). San Diego: Academic Press Download PDF

Morrison, R.G., Holyoak, K.J., & Truong, B. (2001). Working memory modularity in analogical reasoning. Proceedings of the Twenty-fourth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 663-668).   Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Download PDF

Morrison, R.G., & , Wallace, B. (2001). Imagery vividness, creativity, and the visual arts. Journal of Mental Imagery, 25, 135-152. Download PDF

Spellman, B.A., Holyoak, K.J., & Morrison, R.G. (2001).  Analogical priming via semantic relations.  Memory & Cognition, 29, 383-393. PMID: 11407415 Download PDF