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Department of Cognitive Science

Genevieve Quek

Ms Genevieve Quek

Combined Masters/PhD Student

Contact Details

Office : 3.603
Phone : +61 2 9850 4436
Fax : +61 2 9850 6059
email : genevieve.quek@mq.edu.au

External Address

Department of Cognitive Science
Australian Hearing Hub
16 University Avenue
Macquarie University NSW 2109

Profile

I completed my honours thesis in 2009 under the supervision of Dr Matthew Finkbeiner. Working in the Action Lab at MACCS, my research examined the role of spatial attention in the nonconscious processing of both face and nonface stimuli. My current PhD research is an extension of this topic. What impacts on our ability to process information at the nonconscious level? Do 'top-down' cognitive processes influence this processing? Are different types of subliminal stimuli processed more efficiently than others? What factors might underpin these qualitative differences? My research will utilise the Action Optotrak system together with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to examine such questions, and therefore further clarify our understanding of the nonconscious mind.

Thesis Details

The role of attention in nonconscious processing: Comparing faces and non-faces.

  • Scholarship : MQRES
  • Workload : full time
  • Supervisors : Dr Matthew Finkbeiner and Dr Paul Sowman

Awards

  • 40th Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference (EPC) Student Prize (2013), Quek, G.
  • Macquarie University Postgraduate Research Fund (PGRF) Vice Chancellor's Recommendation (2012), Quek, G.
  • Australasian Cognitive Neurosciences Conference (ACNC) Best PhD Presentation Award (2011), Quek, G.
  • 38th Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference (EPC) Student Prize (2011), Quek, G.
  • 37th Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference (EPC) Student Prize (2010), Quek, G.
  • Chancellor's Award for Academic Excellence (2004), Quek, G.

Selected Publications

Periodicals

  • Quek, G., & Finkbeiner, M. (2013). Spatial and temporal attention modulate the early stages of face processing: Behavioural evidence from a reaching paradigm. PLoS one, 8(2. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057365

Published Abstracts

  • Quek, G., & Finkbeiner, M. (2012). Pointing to the temporal modulation of attentional effects on face categorisation [Abstract]. Perception, 41, 125.
  • Quek, G.L., & Finkbeiner, M. (2012). Finding a single guy: The role of attention in masked face priming under conditions of high attentional load [Abstract]. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Conference Abstract: ACNS-2012 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Conference.

Conference Presentations, Colloquia, and other presentations

  • Quek, G., & Finkbeiner, M. (2013, April). Gaining the upper hand: Vertical asymmetry in visual perception is not stimulus-driven. Paper presented at the 40th Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference (EPC), Adelaide, Australia.
  • Quek, G. & Finkbeiner, M. (2012, September). Processing faces on the vertical meridian: Evidence for above-fixation superiority. Poster session presented at the European Conference for Visual Perception (ECVP), Alghero, Italy.
  • Quek, G. (2012, July). Travel notes from a current PhD Candidate. Invited presentation given at the Macquarie University Faculty of Human Sciences Commencement Program, Sydney.
  • Quek, G., & Finkbeiner, M. (2012, April). Attentional modulation of masked face processing varies across the visual field. Paper presented at the 39th Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference (EPC), Sydney.
  • Quek, G., Finkbeiner, M., Friedman, J., & Al-Janabi, S. (2011, December). Using reaching trajectories to reveal the dynamics of stimulus categorization. Paper presented at the Australasian Cognitive Neurosciences Conference (ACNC), Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
  • Quek, G., & Finkbeiner, M. (2011, December). Pointing it out: Masked faces are processed in the true absence of spatial attention. Poster session presented at the Australasian Cognitive Neurosciences Conference (ACNC), Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia..
  • Quek, G., & Finkbeiner, M. (2011, April). Pointing to the locus of attentional effects in subliminal priming. Paper presented at the 38th Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference (EPC), Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Quek, G. & Finkbeiner, M. (2010, April). The effect of attention of nonconscious processing. Comparing faces and non-faces. Paper presented at the 37th Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference, Melbourne, Australia.
  • Quek, G. (2009, September). Looking at the effect of attention on nonconscious processing. Does information type matter? Paper presented at the HCSNET Workshop on Movement and Motion Capture, Macquarie University, Australia.