My primary research utilizes approaches from cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience to study the dynamic control of attention. In particular, I am interested in how we switch attention between and divide attention among multiple tasks and stimuli, and how we ignore irrelevant, distracting information. I am also interested in how we use informational cues to direct our attention toward task-relevant information in the world around us. Our lab's most recent research uses behavioral (response time [RT] and accuracy) and brain (electroencephalography [EEG] and event-related potential [ERP]) measures to examine how we attend to and inhibit color information and how we switch attention between visual and auditory tasks. I also enjoy writing and teaching about issues pertaining to science and society, particularly issues concerning the methodology, ethics, history, and philosophy of the social, behavioral, and brain sciences.

Originally from the Boston area, I first came to the Wasatch via Vermont during the winter of 2001-2002 to ski, and then soon returned for graduate school. Outside of the classroom and lab, I enjoy skiing and mountaineering in the mountains of Utah and beyond, experimenting with chile peppers in the garden and kitchen, rooting for Boston (and U of U) sports, and spending as much time as I can wandering in the desert with the dog.

Edit this page?

If you are Russell Costa, please click here to edit this page.