Aleea Devitt
Cognitive Psychologist
How do we think beyond the here and now, reflect back on past experiences, and anticipate upcoming situations?
How does age-related memory decline affect our ability to mentally time travel?
About me
I am a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Waikato, New Zealand.
I completed my PhD in psychology at The University of Auckland, New Zealand, supervised by Dr. Donna Rose Addis and Dr. Lynette Tippett. I then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, USA, working with Dr. Daniel Schacter.
My research
My research examines the links between the future and the past, how we use memory to imagine future events, and in turn how imagination alters memory. I also explore how healthy aging influences our ability to remember past events and imagine future scenarios.
To explore these questions, I use cognitive/behavioural methods, neuropsychological testing, neuroimaging, and multilevel modelling.
Ultimately, by understanding how memory and imagination interact, we can develop ways of identifying memory errors, and preserving and enhancing memory accuracy and well-being across the lifespan.
