Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
John P. Spencer is a Professor of Psychology. He joined the School in 2015. Prior to arriving in the UK, he was a Professor at the University of Iowa and served as the founding Director of the DeLTA Center. He received a Sc.B. with Honors from Brown University in 1991 and a Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1998. He is the recipient of the 2003 Early Research Contributions Award from the Society for Research in Child Development, and the 2006 Robert L. Fantz Memorial Award from the American Psychological Foundation. His research has been continuously funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health since 2001. His research focuses on the development of executive function including working memory, attention, and inhibitory control. He is also a pioneer in the use of dynamical systems and dynamic neural field models for understanding cognition and action.
Indicative Publications
Wijeakumar, S., Forbes, S.H., Magnotta, V.A., Deoni, S., Jackson, K., Singh, V.P., Tiwari, M., Kumar, A. & Spencer, J.P. (2023). Stunting in the first year of life is associated with atypical activation of dorsal and ventral working memory and attention networks. Nature Human Behaviour, 7, 2199-2211. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01725-3
Spencer, J.P., Forbes, S., Naylor, S., Singh, V.P., Jackson, K., Deoni, S., Tiwari, M. & Kumar, A. (2023). Poor air quality is associated with impaired visual cognition in the first two years of life. eLife, 12:e83876. https://elifesciences.org/articles/83876.
Fibla, L., Forbes, S.H., McCarthy, J., Mee, K., Magnotta, V., Deoni, S., Cameron, D. & Spencer, J.P. (2023). Language exposure and brain myelination in early development. Journal of Neuroscience, 43(23), 4279-4290. https://www.jneurosci.org/content/43/23/4279
Bhat, A., Spencer, J.P. & Samuelson, L.K. (2021). Word-Object Learning via Visual Exploration in Space (WOLVES): A Neural Process Model of Cross-Situational Word Learning. Psychological Review, https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000313.
Buss, A.T., Magnotta, V., Penny, W., Schoner, G., Huppert, T. & Spencer, J.P. (2021). How do neural processes give rise to cognition? Simultaneously predicting brain and behavior with a dynamic model of visual working memory. Psychological Review, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/rev0000264.
For a full publication list please visit Google Scholar or ORCID or ResearchGate
You can download John Spencer's CV here
Key Research Interests
Prof. John Spencer’s research focuses on how neural and cognitive dynamics change over learning and development. He is currently studying developmental changes in working memory, attention, inhibitory control, executive function, word learning, and spatial cognition and language. He uses functional neuroimaging technologies including near-infrared spectroscopy and fMRI as well as eye-tracking.
You can visit the Developmental Dynamics Lab website here
Prof. Spencer’s research also targets advances in theory with pioneering work using concepts of dynamical systems theory and dynamic neural field models of cognition and action.
Visit the Dynamic Field Theory Website
Areas of Expertise
cognitive development
brain development
computational neuroscience
theories of development
working memory
executive function
attention and development
word learning
dynamical system theory
dynamic field theory
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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University of East Anglia Brain Imaging Centre
Penny, W., Coventry, K., Hornberger, M., Pomeroy, V. & Spencer, J.
21/08/19 → 20/08/24
Project: Research
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Infant Brain Health in India: Assessing and Enhancing Working Memory Capacity via a Neurobehavioral Toolkit
Spencer, J. & Wijeakumar, S.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
24/11/16 → 31/01/20
Project: Research
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A dynamic field theory of visual exploration and memory formation in infancy
Spencer, J., Perone, S. & Stuart, S., 5 Dec 2024, (Accepted/In press) The Oxford Handbook of Infant Attention, Memory, and Learning Development. Oxford University PressResearch output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Integrating attention, working memory, and word learning in a dynamic field theory of executive function development: Moving beyond the ‘component’ view of executive function
Spencer, J. P., Buss, A. T., McCraw, A. R., Johns, E. & Samuelson, L. K., Mar 2025, In: Developmental Review. 75, 101182.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure) -
Leveraging technological advances to assess dyadic visual cognition during infancy in high- and low-resource settings
Aneja, P., Kinna, T., Newman, J., Sami, S., Cassidy, J., McCarthy, J., Tiwari, M., Kumar, A. & Spencer, J., 30 May 2024, In: Frontiers in Psychology. 15, 1376552.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Downloads (Pure) -
Neural process models can help keep theory at the forefront of developmental neuroscience: Commentary on Marshall, Arsalidou, Rueda, Crone and van Drunen
Spencer, J. P. & Johns, E., Dec 2024, In: Human Development. 68, 5-6, p. 276–282 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review
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Similarity in object properties supports cross-situational word learning: Predictions from a dynamic neural model confirmed
Bhat, A. A., Spencer, J. & Samuelson, L. K., Jul 2024, In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society. 46Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › peer-review
Open AccessFile50 Downloads (Pure)
Datasets
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Air_Quality_VWM
Forbes, S. (Creator) & Spencer, J. (Creator), Open Science Framework, 14 Oct 2022
Dataset