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Stephen M. Kosslyn

3.6/5 ( ratings)
Stephen Michael Kosslyn is an American psychologist who specializes in the fields of cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Until 31 December 2010 he was John Lindsley Professor of Psychology in Memory of William James and Dean of Social Science at Harvard University, having previously been chair of the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. As of 1 January 2011, he became director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.

Kosslyn received his B.A. in 1970 from UCLA and his Ph.D. in 1974 from Stanford University, both in psychology. His Ph.D. advisor was Gordon Bower. His former teaching career includes Johns Hopkins and Brandeis Universities.

Kosslyn is known primarily for his research and theories on mental imagery. His theory is that, contrary to common assumption, imagery is not a unified phenomenon. Rather, it consists of a collection of distinct functions, which are responsible for different aspects of imagery. For example, he decomposes imagery into four sets of processes, responsible for generating the image , inspecting the object in the image , maintaining the image over time, and—possibly—transforming the image . His research, which includes fMRI-imaging and similar techniques, has located some of these functions to different neural networks, some of which are in different cerebral hemispheres of the brain. For example, his laboratory demonstrated that the left half of the brain is better than the right at encoding categories and generating mental images on the basis of categories, whereas the right half of the brain is better than the left at encoding specific examples or continuous distances and at generating images that have such characteristics.

Kosslyn also works on visual display design, showing how psychological principles can be used to produce displays that can be read at a glance. Most recently, he has extended this work to showing how psychological principles of perception, memory, and comprehension can be used to make and deliver PowerPoint presentations.

He has received numerous honors for his research. These include the National Academy of Sciences Initiatives in Research Award, the Prix Jean-Louis Signoret, and three honorary doctorates . He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Society of Experimental Psychologists.

Kosslyn has published over 300 scientific papers and written or co-authored 15 books and edited or co-edited 13 books; his authored books include Image and Mind , Ghosts in the Mind's Machine , Wet Mind , Elements of Graph Design , Image and Brain , The Case for Mental Imagery , Graph Design for the Eye and Mind , Clear and to the Point: 8 Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations , and Better PowerPoint . He is also the co-author of the textbooks Psychology: The Brain, the Person, the World , Psychology in Context , Abnormal Psychology , and Cognitive Psychology: Mind and Brain. His forthcoming Top Brain/Bottom Brain develops a new theory of "cognitive modes" -- different thinking styles that affect how each of us approaches the world and interacts with other people.

Stephen M. Kosslyn

3.6/5 ( ratings)
Stephen Michael Kosslyn is an American psychologist who specializes in the fields of cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Until 31 December 2010 he was John Lindsley Professor of Psychology in Memory of William James and Dean of Social Science at Harvard University, having previously been chair of the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. As of 1 January 2011, he became director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.

Kosslyn received his B.A. in 1970 from UCLA and his Ph.D. in 1974 from Stanford University, both in psychology. His Ph.D. advisor was Gordon Bower. His former teaching career includes Johns Hopkins and Brandeis Universities.

Kosslyn is known primarily for his research and theories on mental imagery. His theory is that, contrary to common assumption, imagery is not a unified phenomenon. Rather, it consists of a collection of distinct functions, which are responsible for different aspects of imagery. For example, he decomposes imagery into four sets of processes, responsible for generating the image , inspecting the object in the image , maintaining the image over time, and—possibly—transforming the image . His research, which includes fMRI-imaging and similar techniques, has located some of these functions to different neural networks, some of which are in different cerebral hemispheres of the brain. For example, his laboratory demonstrated that the left half of the brain is better than the right at encoding categories and generating mental images on the basis of categories, whereas the right half of the brain is better than the left at encoding specific examples or continuous distances and at generating images that have such characteristics.

Kosslyn also works on visual display design, showing how psychological principles can be used to produce displays that can be read at a glance. Most recently, he has extended this work to showing how psychological principles of perception, memory, and comprehension can be used to make and deliver PowerPoint presentations.

He has received numerous honors for his research. These include the National Academy of Sciences Initiatives in Research Award, the Prix Jean-Louis Signoret, and three honorary doctorates . He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Society of Experimental Psychologists.

Kosslyn has published over 300 scientific papers and written or co-authored 15 books and edited or co-edited 13 books; his authored books include Image and Mind , Ghosts in the Mind's Machine , Wet Mind , Elements of Graph Design , Image and Brain , The Case for Mental Imagery , Graph Design for the Eye and Mind , Clear and to the Point: 8 Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations , and Better PowerPoint . He is also the co-author of the textbooks Psychology: The Brain, the Person, the World , Psychology in Context , Abnormal Psychology , and Cognitive Psychology: Mind and Brain. His forthcoming Top Brain/Bottom Brain develops a new theory of "cognitive modes" -- different thinking styles that affect how each of us approaches the world and interacts with other people.

Books from Stephen M. Kosslyn

Top Brain, Bottom Brain: Surprising Insights into How You Think

3/5 ( ratings)

Cognitive Psychology: Mind and Brain

3.7/5 ( ratings)

Building the Intentional University: Minerva and the Future of Higher Education

4.2/5 ( ratings)

Abnormal Psychology

4.2/5 ( ratings)

Wet Mind: The New Cognitive Neuroscience

3.9/5 ( ratings)

Active Learning Online: Five Principles that Make Online Courses Come Alive

3.9/5 ( ratings)

Abnormal Psychology

3.9/5 ( ratings)

The Case for Mental Imagery

4.2/5 ( ratings)

Behavioral Approaches to Pattern Recognition and Concept Formation: Quantitative Analyses of Behavior, Volume VIII

3/5 ( ratings)

Findings and Current Opinion in Cognitive Neuroscience

4.5/5 ( ratings)

The Oxford Handbook of Cognitive Neuroscience: Volume 1: Core Topics

4/5 ( ratings)

Emerging Trends in the Social and Behavioral Sciences: Interdisciplinary Directions

4/5 ( ratings)

Oxford Handbook of Cognitive Neuroscience: Volume 2: The Cutting Edges

4/5 ( ratings)

Grade Aid Workbook with Practice Tests

4/5 ( ratings)

Image and Mind

4/5 ( ratings)

Top Brain, Bottom Brain: Harnessing the Power of the Four Cognitive Modes

4/5 ( ratings)

Image and Brain: The Resolution of the Imagery Debate

4/5 ( ratings)

Minerva and the Future of Higher Education

4/5 ( ratings)

Clear and to the Point: 8 Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations

4/5 ( ratings)

Mind Time: The Temporal Factor in Consciousness (Perspectives in Cognitive Neuroscience Book 11)

4/5 ( ratings)
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