George S. Cree
Associate Professor & Associate Chair
Program Supervisor for Psychology
Department of Psychology
University of Toronto Scarborough
Office: S559/S561
Email: george.cree@utoronto.ca
Office Hours for Winter 2012: Mon., 10-11, in
S559/S561.
Research
I'm interested in how the brain gives rise to the mind. I tackle this problem
from the viewpoint of a cognitive psychologist, with the goal being to
understand the mind well enough that it can be implemented as a computer
program. I feel that the best modeling frameworks within which to
accomplish this are those that integrate the constraints of neurobiology. Hence
my current research combines embodied approaches to cognition with the methods
of computational cognitive neuroscience.
One aspect of this larger problem that really interests me is how the brain
infuses sensory input with meaning. In other words, how do we understand, how
do we acquire knowledge, and how do we use that knowledge to accomplish our
goals. My past research in this area has focused on how we compute the
meanings of words. I've focused on words mainly because they are relatively
easy to control when used as stimuli, and are richly infused with meaning. But
more generally, I'm interested in how all knowledge is acquired, represented,
and computed.
Most recently, we have begun to explore knowledge representation using ERP
methodologies. An important goal at this point is to develop techniques that
will allow us to use data collected from both behavioral
reaction time and ERP experiments to constrain our models of mental
functioning.
Representative Publications
- O’Connor,
C. M., Cree, G. S., & McRae, K. (2009). Conceptual hierarchies in a
flat attractor network: Dynamics of learning and computations. Cognitive
Science, 33, 665-708. PDF
- Cree,
G. S., McNorgan, C., & McRae, K. (2006).
Distinctive features hold a privileged status in the computation of word
meaning: Implications for theories of semantic memory. Journal of
Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 32,
643-658. PDF
- McRae,
K., Cree, G. S., Seidenberg, M. S., & McNorgan,
C. (2005). Semantic feature production norms for a large set of living and
nonliving things. Behavioral Research Methods, Instruments, and
Computers, 37, 547-559.
- Cree,
G. S., & McRae, K. (2003). Analyzing the factors underlying the
structure and computation of the meaning of chipmunk, cherry, chisel,
cheese and cello (and many other such concrete nouns). Journal of
Experimental Psychology: General, 132(2), 163-201.
Research
Opportunities
- Graduate: I will be accepting
graduate students in the Fall of 2012. Please
feel free to contact me to
discuss current research directions.
- Undergraduate: I regularly accept
undergraduate students for PSYC90 and PSYD98 projects that use lab-based
cognitive psychology methods. If you are interested, please (1) read the
representative publications listed above, then (2) email an electronic copy of
your transcript (from ROSI), a resume, and a 1 page statement of research
interests, project goals, and career goals. I am also interested in
supervising students who would like to complete a PSY/NROC90 or
PSY/NROD98 computational modeling project. Contact me if you are interested
in learning more (note: programming experience is not necessary).
Program Supervisor
I am the Program Supervisor for psychology at UTSC. Questions about course
selection, admittance to courses that are full, program requirements, etc.,
should be sent to psychology-program-supervisor@utsc.utoronto.ca
(please do not send them to george.cree@utoronto.ca). Email is the best way to
contact us, because it allows us to keep, and forward as required, electronic
records of our conversations. Questions about co-op programs should be
forwarded to Prof. Janelle
LeBoutillier. Hanan Kayyali,
our Psychology Program Advisor, is available for consultation regarding course
and program related issues, or, feel free to visit me during my office hours
posted at the top of this page.
Note re: Admission to Courses that are Full: Please remember that in all
but the most exceptional circumstances, the only way into a course is through
the wait list on ROSI. If, however, you are trying to get into a course that is
full, and you believe that you are a truly exceptional case, then please send
an email to the psychology-program-supervisor@utsc.utoronto.ca
email address stating, in detail, (1) why you need into that course, (2) why
there are no suitable alternative courses in which you can enroll, (3) information
about when you hope to graduate, and (4) any other relevant information
regarding your planning of courses for upcoming semesters (e.g., you need
course A now because you plan to take course B next term).
Courses
I currently teach 3 undergraduate courses on a regular basis:
- PSYB57: Introduction to Memory and Cognition (Winter; note that I will not be
teaching this in the Winter 2011 term)
- PSYC58: Cognitive Psychology Laboratory (Fall)
- PSYD50: Current Topics in Memory and Cognition (Fall)
I teach a graduate course on the St. George campus on a rotating schedule, next
offered in 2013/14:
- Computational Cognitive Neuroscience
Contact Info
Office: S559
Office Phone: 1 (416) 287-7439
Department Fax: 1 (416) 287-7642
Email: george.cree@utoronto.ca
Behavioral Testing Lab & Grad Student Offices:
S561
Phone: 1 (416) 287-7429
Computational Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (C3NLAB): S559
Mailing Address
George Cree
Department of Psychology
University of Toronto Scarborough
1265 Military Trail
Toronto, ON, Canada
M1C 1A4
Last Updated: Jan. 13th, 2012