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Dr Deborra Hall

Research Assistant

telephone: +44 (0)117 33 17892 email: Debbora.Hall@bris.ac.uk

Room 3D3

Biographical details



I studied at the University of Durham as an undergraduate and master’s student, graduating with a BA in Psychology (2003) and an MA in Research Methods: Developmental Psychology (2005). My PhD began at Durham and moved to the University of York, and was completed in 2008 under the supervision of Professor Sue Gathercole. I explored the links between memory for rhythmic patterns, short-term memory, and phonological awareness in children aged between 4 and 8, and examined the effects of interference on memory for non-verbal rhythms in adults. I worked as a demonstrator at Newcastle University from 2008-2010, mainly teaching research methods, before moving to Bristol in January 2011 to begin work with Professor Chris Jarrold and Dr John Towse (Lancaster) on a project examining the development of working memory.

Research Interests

My main interests are working memory and short-term memory, particularly the processes and strategies which support working memory performance. I am a strong believer in studying developmental populations and individual differences as an aid to understanding cognition. Additionally, I am interested in rhythm and language, and their links to short-term memory capacity in both adults and children.


Publications

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (In Press) Serial recall of rhythms and verbal sequences: Impacts of Concurrent tasks and irrelevant sounds. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology.

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (In preparation) Rhythm, working memory, and phonological awareness in 5, 6, and 7 year olds.

Hall, D. (2010) Book Review: Introduction to research methods and data analysis in psychology. The Psychologist, 23(6), 494.

Hall, D. (August 2008) Book Review: Memory in the Real World. The Psychologist, online content.

Funding and awards

2003-2007: ESRC 1+3 competitive award.

2003: Gabbett Final Year Prize in Psychology, awarded by the University of Durham Psychology Department.

2001: John Norton Prize for excellence in preliminary examinations, awarded by St. Cuthbert’s Society, University of Durham.

Presentations:

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2009) Rhythm, working memory, and phonological awareness in 5, 6 and 7 year olds. Poster presented at the British Psychological Society Developmental Section Conference, Nottingham, UK

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2009) Memory for rhythm and verbal serial recall. Poster presented at the British Psychological Society Cognitive Section Conference, University of Hertfordshire, UK.

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2006) Short-term memory for non-verbal rhythms: Effects of concurrent tasks and irrelevant sounds. Invited symposium paper presented at the International Conference on Memory (ICOM-4), Sydney, Australia.

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2006) Memory for rhythm, short-term memory, and phonological awareness in 4 to 8 year olds. Poster presented at the European working memory symposium (EWOMS-3), Genova, Italy.

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2006) Short-term memory for non-verbal rhythms: Effects of concurrent tasks and irrelevant sounds. Poster presented at the European Working Memory Symposium (EWOMS-3), Genova, Italy.

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2005) Memory for Rhythm, Short Term Memory, and Phonological Awareness in Young Children. Paper presented at the British Psychological Society Developmental Section Conference, Edinburgh, UK.

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2005) Memory for rhythm, short-term memory, and phonological awareness in young children. Poster presented at the British Psychological Society Quinquennial conference, Manchester, UK.

Hall, D. & Gathercole, S.E. (2005) Verbal Interference of Memory for Non-Verbal Rhythms. Paper presented at the British Psychological Society Cognitive Section Conference, Leeds, UK.

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