Prof. Chris Davis
Role: Project Leader/Key Researcher
Professor Chris Davis studies the information processing involved in human communication. His research approach emphasises (a) the nature of the linguistic input (including both written and spoken forms of language), (b) the neural mechanisms engaged when perceiving language, and (c) the effects of linguistic input and neural mechanisms on measurements of human behaviour.
His research has been guided by three interrelated themes:
1. Multisensory processing: Davis’s research investigates both the auditory and visual information involved in speech perception. The research interest can be summed up by the concept of interacting signals and the notion that the different types of signal all contribute to the interpretation of a message.
2. Human processing of linguistic complexity: Davis (along with colleagues) have been investigating the extent to which components of language processing can be probed when the contribution of task and decision elements have been minimized (chiefly by using masked priming techniques).
3. Cross-language and developmental comparisons.
His work on language development utilizes a cross-linguistic, developmental paradigm to examine the processes by which children learn first spoken and then written language (or how adults may learn other languages).