When making decisions we compile a wide range of actions to choose from, and based on the information we gain or already know, we make a choice of which action to implement. Search termination can be described as the way we stop searching for information to make our final decisions. By using the computational decision-making model HyGene, which stands for Hypothesis Generation, we can examine the factors that lead to our termination of search when making decisions. Using the model, we varied multiple parameters such as learning retention and memory quality to simulate the cognitive processes that could contribute to terminating search. In simulating probabilities, we can evaluate the model’s predictions and see if they vary based on our manipulations of parameters. Using the findings from the model, we can hypothesize that the better the learning retention is, the higher the termination probability would be. We also hypothesize an emphasis on memory quality, as the quality of memories altered the termination probability.

Attaining reading proficiency is a struggle for many children and adults. Contrary to subjective experience, readers perceive only 7–10 letters at a time, requiring continuous eye movements to extract meaning from text. Skilled reading is therefore characterized by efficient eye movement patterns that support visual and linguistic processing. The implementation of eye tracking provides a direct method for observing these processes in real time. Previous research has documented substantial individual differences in adult readers’ sensitivity to visual and linguistic properties of words, which modulate eye movement behavior during reading (Kuperman et al.,2018). Studies of reading motivation and attitudes further show that positive attitudes toward reading are associated with greater reading amount and breadth (Mol & Bus, 2011; Schiefele et al., 2012). However, much of this research has focused on either native English speakers or early language learners. Consequently, this has left adult readers who learned English after age five underrepresented, mainly in eye movement research. The goal of this project is to analyze a sub-portion of the PROVO ILLINI corpus containing eye movement data from adolescents and young adults reading authentic passages, supplemented with survey measures of language experience and reading attitudes (Stoops & Montag, 2023, 2025). Text exposure is defined as readers’ exposure to and use of English text across contexts, while reading attitudes and motivation reflect their engagement with and evaluations of reading. Focusing on readers who acquired English after age five, this study examines how these learners’ characteristics relate to eye movement measures such as fixation durations, skipping, and regressions during reading. In ongoing analyses, we are looking at the relationship between reading motivation, reading proficiency, and patterns of eye movements. We aim to understand how these relationships might be similar or different in early English learners and those who learned English later in life.

Decision making is a valuable way to study how animals learn from experience. Decision making in mice is often studied by moving the mouse from their home cage to a testing chamber, which can introduce variables that lower ecological validity such as handler stress and unfamiliar environment. The FED3 (Feeding Experimentation Device ver. 3), an alternative for measuring operant behavior and food intake, is a device that fits within the mouse’s home cage and allows continuous testing there. We are investigating whether decision making with FED3 devices differs when the reward is a pellet as is standard for FED3, versus milkshake, which is standard for typical testing chambers. Pellets are solid and more filling than liquid reinforcers, which can affect the mouse’s motivation. Twelve mice (6 male, 6 female) are individually homed with a FED3 device that has 24 hour access, either receiving sweet pellets or liquid milkshake to determine the metabolic effects of each reinforcer. To measure decision making, mice nosepoke one of two sensors with different reward probabilities. Reward probabilities on each sensor will change, so the mice must constantly choose between testing a new sensor or exploiting the one they currently know works best. We will measure win-stay/lose-shift strategies and total session interactions. We predict that animals will do more trials with a liquid reinforcer, but both reinforcers will use similar strategies.

"Outdoor play is important for young children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. While previous research suggests that nature-rich environments may support greater exploration, creativity, and social interaction than traditional manufactured playgrounds, not much is known about which specific playground features and activity centers children use most frequently. The purpose of this study is to examine children’s use of natural and manufactured playground components and identify the features most and least used. This study uses observational video data collected from children ages 2-5 attending early childhood education centers. GoPro recordings of outdoor play are coded using coding procedures to document where children spend their time, what playground features they engage with and the frequency of use across natural and manufactured areas of the playground. Analyses compared patterns of play across playground areas and components. Based on previous research, we anticipate that natural playground features will be associated with higher levels of engagement and more participation than manufactured features. We also expect certain natural activity centers to be preferred locations for children’s play. Findings will provide practical information for educators, designers, and policymakers seeking to create playgrounds that maximize children’s engagement. By identifying specific playground features that are frequently used, this research may inform the design of more effective, developmentally supportive, and inclusive early childhood outdoor play spaces. Key References: Gibson (1979); Loebach and Cox (2020); Ramsden (2025)."