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. and Xu, X. (in press). Content differences for abstract and concrete concepts. Cognitive Science.
• Barsalou, L.W. and Wiemer-Hastings, K. (in press). Situating abstract concepts. In D. Pecher and 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. and 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. and 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. and 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.