Nicolas Davidenko Ph.D.

About

Nicolas Davidenko, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he teaches courses on perception, illusions, and face recognition. His research investigates high level perception—how our thoughts, actions, and expectations influence our perception of reality—and he directs the High Level Perception Lab. Nicolas studied mathematics at Harvard University and statistics, psychology, and cognitive neuroscience at Stanford University.

Recent Posts

The Psychology of Disliked Music

Research on the effects of music on mood tends to focus on the positive effects. Much less is known about the potential impacts of disliked music. New research addresses this gap.

The Necessity of Multitasking

Decades of research have pointed out the costs associated with multitasking. But in many daily contexts, multitasking may be the most efficient thing to do.

How We Perceive Falling and Rising Objects

A new study investigated whether the perceived acceleration of an object is influenced by its direction. Findings showed a bias in the perceived acceleration of falling objects.

To Keep Your Resolutions on Track, Focus on Monthly Trends

Focusing on monthly trends can lead to greater success. Here's an example using my daily step count to argue why monthly trends are easier to maintain.

Can We Learn to Draw Faces From Memory?

People find it extremly difficult to draw faces from memory. A new study asked whether using simplified line drawings of faces can improve the accuracy of drawing from memory.

A Bias for the Tops of Objects and Bottoms of Scenes

A new study shows that we have specific biases to attend to the top parts of objects and the bottom parts of scenes. This bias is also present in children.

Can Music Reduce Pain?

Music is often described as medicine for the soul. New research confirms that listening to your favorite tunes can significantly reduce acute pain.

How We Count Hidden Objects

Could you determine the contents of a box by shaking it? New research shows how people can use haptic perception to estimate the number of spheres in a box.

Scientific Blogging in the Age of ChatGPT

Personal Perspective: ChatGPT and other AI tools can write entire blog posts in seconds. Yet, I have completely avoided them while writing my blog. Here's why.

A New Illusion of Relative Height

A new illusion called the Box-Circle illusion was reported in which a horizontal arrangement of boxes makes dots appear to be vertically misaligned.