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Welcome to the website for the Spatial Cognition and Physical Environments (SCaPE) Laboratory, located in the Department of Psychology at University of Hartford.
“The Architect should be equipped with knowledge of many branches of study and varied kinds of learning for it is by his judgment that all work done by the arts is put to the test. This knowledge is the child of practice and theory.” – Vitruvius, The Ten Books of Architecture, 15 BCE
In the earliest existing writings on architecture, architects were regarded as inherently interdisciplinary. Led by Dr. Margaret Tarampi, who is trained as an architect and as a cognitive psychologist, the SCAPE lab takes an interdisciplinary approach in our research to understand how physical environments (i.e., both natural and built environments) affect human behavior and cognition.
Our research investigates how we think about, act upon, and understand space. Specifically, we study the cognitive mechanisms that underlie space perception and spatial cognition in select populations, such as individuals with visual impairments, and spatial experts, such as dancers and architects.
For more detailed description of our projects, see Research.
News
News
21 May 2025
Dr. Tarampi moderated a panel on Designing Brain-Healthy Workspaces for Better Business Outcomes at Brain Capital: The New Competitive Advantage in a Shifting Economy in Houston TX.
22 November 2024
Dr. Tarampi, Dr. Wednesday Bushong, Dr. EB Caron, Dr. Natasha Segool, and Dr. Nayomi Walton presented a poster on Spatial Abilities Are Enhanced in Expert Speed Jigsaw Puzzlers at Psychonomics 2024 in New York City NY.
24 October 2024
Dr. Tarampi was a panelist with Dr. Upali Nanda, Max Geron, and Dr. Kristy Gaines on the Where We Learn panel at the Building Brains Summit sponsored by CADRE, Center for Brain Health, and HKS in Dallas TX .
05 October 2024
Dr. Tarampi was a panelist with Dr. Thomas Newpher, Dr. Minna Ng, Dr. Caroline Wilson, and student Nicholas Fish speaking on Team-Based Learning in Neuroscience Education: An Interactive Demonstration and Exploration of Evidence-Based Findings and Real-World Classroom Experiences for Neuroscience 2024 of the Society for Neuroscience.
22 March 2024
Dr. Tarampi presented a talk titled Putting the Pieces Together: The Cognitive Psychology of Speed Puzzling with Dr. Wednesday Bushong at the USA Jigsaw Puzzling Association USA Jigsaw Nationals in San Diego CA.
13 March 2024
Dr. Tarampi was a panelist with architect Meredith Banasiak speaking on Neuro-architecture 101 for Brain Awareness Week hosted by the Dana Foundation Career Network in Neuroscience & Society.
08-09 November 2023
Dr. Tarampi was panelist speaking on Designing for Inclusivity at the Intentional Spaces Summit 2023 (https://intentionalspaces.org/) hosted by The International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics (IAM Lab) at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
11 September 2023
Dr. Tarampi was a panelist speaking on neuro-architecture for a Virtual Career Fair hosted by the Dana Foundation Career Network in Neuroscience & Society. A recording can be found at https://neuroxcareers.org/careerfair/.
02 February 2022
Dr. Tarampi presented a talk at the Carleton University Cognitive Science Colloquium. She presented an updated version of her talk titled "Developing a cognitive approach to the study of human crowd dynamics from interdisciplinary perspectives."
11 February 2021
Dr. Tarampi was a respondent on a panel presentation "Neuroscience for Architecture: Evidence for a New Brain-Based Science of Design." at 2021 American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting.
11 November 2020
Dr. Tarampi presented a talk at the Purdue University Cognitive Colloquium. She presented an updated version of her talk titled "Developing a cognitive approach to the study of human crowd dynamics from interdisciplinary perspectives."
01 October 2020
Dr. Tarampi presented a talk at the Harvard Cognition, Brain & Behavior Research Seminar. Her talk titled, "Developing a cognitive approach to the study of human crowd dynamics from interdisciplinary perspectives" was about cognitive research on crowd dynamics as part of the ERDC grant.
18 March 2020
Dr. Tarampi has a new review paper out in the Journal of the Royal Society Interfaces titled "Decoding collective communications using information theory tools." This review was the result of a large interdisciplinary collaboration lead by Kevin Pilkiewicz and Bertrand Lemasson in the Environmental Laboratory at U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (EL-ERDC).
02 December 2019
Congratulations to SCaPE Lab research assistant Marlise Burtley who recently selected as a Women's Advancement Initiative 2019-2020 Dorothy Goodwin Scholar for her study on "Predictors of functional outcomes in lower limb amputees." This is a major accomplishment and honor reflective of Marlise's hard work in realizing this project. The funding will allow her to recruit participants through the Amputee Coalition and compensate research participants.
30 October 2019
Dr. Tarampi has a new paper out in the journal Memory & Cognition titled "Expertise effects on the perceptual and cognitive tasks of indoor rock climbing." This work was in collaboration with Miranda Whitaker, Grant Pointon and Dr. Kristina Rand at University of Utah.
15 October 2019
Congratulations to SCaPE Lab research assistant Marlise Burtley who recently was awarded a College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Student Research Award for her study on "Predictors of functional outcomes in lower limb amputees." The funding will allow her to compensate participants in her research study.
18 April 2019
Dr. Tarampi presented a talk, "Identifying the Influences of Visual Perception and Design of the Built Environment on Crowd Dynamics during Emergency Situations" at the Collective Spatial Cognition Specialist Meeting in Santa Barbara, CA.
25 June 2018
Dr. Tarampi presented a talk, "Thinking about Space and Using Space to Think: Applications from Spatial Cognition Research" at Architecture: Space, Power & Community, ORIAS (Office of Resources for International and Area Studies) Summer Institute for K-12 Teachers, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley CA.
22 June 2018
Dr. Tarampi participated in the panel discussion, "Neuroscience & Architecture: A Discussion” at AIA Conference on Architecture 2018 (7:00 am, Javits Center, Room 1E15) in New York City NY.
17 March 2018
Dr. Tarampi presented a talk, "Designing Visually Accessible Spaces: How Scientific Research Can Inform the Design Process" at BOND Healthcare: The Forum for North America's Leading Healthcare Designers in La Jolla CA.
02 March 2018
Dr. Tarampi discussed her work on learning environments to the American Institute of Architects Committee on Architecture for Education Research Task Force.
01 March 2018
Dr. Tarampi was recently interviewed for an article on how to improve your sense of direction. It appeared in The Cut (the blog of New York Magazine): Teach Yourself to Have a Better Sense of Direction by Roni Jacobson.
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