Faculty
Research Interests
I study the development of visual attention in infants and young
children. I am specifically interested in developmental changes
in attention, the role of attentional processes in how infants learn
about the world around them and how they interact with other people,
and what individual differences in infant attention may tell us
about social and cognitive development when the infant is older.
In my lab, we study both behavioral (i.e., look duration and reaction
time) and physiological (i.e., heart rate and respiration rate)
measures of attention, using both global and microanalytic coding
techniques.
My lab includes a stimulus presentation computer
with a 31 inch monitor, 3 videocameras, a video-mixer for creating
split-screen
images, equipment for synchronizing each frame of videotape
with a time code, two videotape coding computers, and a bioamplifier
for measuring heart rate and respiration rate. Much of our work
involves painstaking analysis of videotape records of testing
sessions
with babies previously recorded. You can learn more about research
studies we are doing in our lab by clicking
here to visit our lab web page. You can see my full dossier
at my
personal web page.
Selected Publications
Hammond, B. R., & Frick, J. E. (2007). Nutritional protection of the developing retina. The Hong Kong Practicioner, 29, 200-207.
Abelkop, B. S., & Frick, J. E. (2003). Cross-task
stability in infant attention: New perspectives using the still-face
procedure. Infancy, 4, 567-588.
Frick, J. E., & Adamson, L. B. (2003). One
still-face, many visions. Infancy, 4, 499-501.
Adamson, L. B., & Frick, J. E. (2003). The
still-face: A history of a shared experimental paradigm. Infancy,
4, 451-473.
Frick,
J. E., & Richards, J. E.
(2001). Individual
differences in infants' recognition of briefly presented visual
stimuli. Infancy, 2, 331-352.
Frick,
J. E., Colombo, J., & Allen,
J. R. (2000). Temporal sequence of global-local processing
in 3-month-old infants. Infancy, 1, 375-386.
Frick, J. E., Colombo, J., & Saxon,
T. F. (1999). Individual and developmental differences
in disengagement of fixation in early infancy. Child
Development, 70, 537-548.
Stoecker, J. J., Colombo, J., Frick,
J. E., & Allen, J. R. (1998). Long- and short-looking
infants' recognition of symmetrical and asymmetrical forms. Journal
of Experimental Child Psychology, 71, 63-78.
Frick, J. E., & Colombo, J. (1996). Individual
differences in infant visual attention: Recognition of degraded
visual forms by four-month-olds. Child Development,
67, 188-204.
Current and Former Advisees
Melissa Dengler, M.S. expected 2008, master's thesis on the development of contrast enhancement in human infants
Krisztina Varga, M.S. 2007, master's project on inhibition of return in 3-6 month old infants
Melissa M. Whitehead, M.S. 2005, master's thesis on attention regulation in 3-6 month-old infants
Jill Sullivan, M.S. 2002, master's thesis on visual anticipations in 9-12 month old infants
Shayle Abelkop, M.S. 2000, master's thesis on infant visual attention in the still-face procedure (i.e., during social interaction)
Selected Professional Activities
I am a member of the Editorial Board of Infancy, the leading infant development journal in my field. I am active in undergraduate advising and have a number of students who work in my lab. I received our department's undergraduate teaching award in 1997 and 2007, was selected as a UGA Lilly Teaching Fellow in 1999-2000, and was selected as a Senior Teaching Fellow and elected to the UGA Teaching Academy in 2007. Finally, I am active in technology-related issues in the department.
I am also certified with the UGA Safe Space program.
Courses Regularly Taught
See
Dr. Frick's website for syllabi
Undergraduate
-
PSYC 1101: Introductory Psychology
-
PSYC 1030H: General Psychology Honors
-
PSYC 4220: Developmental Psychology
- PSYC 5100: Infant Attention
and Cognition
Graduate

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