Katja Wiemer

Research Interests

Representation, Similarity, and Categorization of Abstract Concepts; Perceptual Representations; Visual Perception; Computational Natural Language Comprehension.

Frequently Taught Classes

  • PSYC 305 Research Methods in Psychology
  • PSYC 345 Cognitive Psychology
  • PSYC 410 Perception Lab
  • ILAS 261 Language, Mind, and Thought

Representative Publications

  • Wiemer-Hastings, K., & Xu, X. (in press). Content differences for abstract and concrete concepts. Cognitive Science.
  • Barsalou, L.W., & Wiemer-Hastings, K. (in press). Situating abstract concepts. In D. Pecher & R. Zwaan (Eds.), The Grounding of cognition: The role of perception and action in memory, language, and thinking.
  • Wiemer-Hastings, K., Janit, A., Wiemer-Hastings, P., Cromer, S., & Kinser, J. (2004). Automatic Classification of Dysfunctional Thoughts: A Feasibility Test.  Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36, 203-212.
  • Kurby, C.A., Wiemer-Hastings, K., Ganduri, N., Magliano, J.P., Millis, K.K., & McNamara, D.S. (2003). Computerizing reading training: Evaluation of a latent semantic analysis space for science text. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 35, 244-250.
  • Graesser, A.C., Wiemer-Hastings, K., Wiemer-Hastings, P., Kreuz, R., & the Tutoring Research Group (1999).  AutoTutor: A simulation of a human tutor. Journal of Cognitive Systems Research, 1, 35-51.
  • Wiemer-Hastings, K. (1998). Abstract noun classification: Using a neural network to match word context and word meaning. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, and Computers, 30, 264-271.

Representative Grants

  • Promoting Active Reading Strategies to Improve Students’ Understanding of Science. NSF-IERI Grant #0241144 (PI: D. McNamara, U of Memphis) 2000-2005.

 

Associate Professor, Cognitive and Instructional Psychology

815-753-5227
katja@niu.edu
PM 307

Education

Ph.D.: University of Memphis, 2000