Markus Grüner

I developed my own research focus by integrating visual attention research with experimental approaches to consciousness. In addition, I taught the research practicum (in German), for which I programmed more than 20 complex online experiments and supervised students conducting their first independent research projects.

Main Projects

• Interaction between exogenous visual attention and consciousness
• Is attention necessary for consciousness?

Skills learned and applied:

• Measuring and analyzing human behavior and subjective experience
• Solving complex methodological and conceptual problems
• Teamwork, project management, and supervising students
• Programming (online) experiments in Python/Javascript

Main Projects

• Attentional guidance by simple 2D shapes
• Influence of selection history on attentional guidance
• Influence of physical salience on (top-down) attentional guidance
• Influence of reward on attentional guidance

Skills learned and applied:

• Finding literature and learning about new, complex topics
• Designing and programming (Matlab) behavioral experiments
• Analysing data with R using advanced statistics and methods (GLMMs, power analysis with simulations)
• Preparing and reporting scientific results (conference posters, talks, manuscripts) in English and German
• Developing new research questions and preparing proposals for grants
• Teaching introductory courses on cognitive psychology and R

Leading a research project in cooperation with an industrial partner investigating the influence of adaptive car lighting systems on attention, perception and driving behavior.

Skills learned and applied:

• Teamwork and project management
• Communication with corporate researcher and executives
• Designing experiments in real-world settings to answer practical questions
• Collecting and analyzing data from mobile eye trackers
• Developing and deploying questionnaires with LimeSurvey

Skills learned and applied:

• Eye tracking and EEG data collecting
• Preparing and holding statistic tutorials
• Organizational tasks

Skills learned and applied:

• Self-organisation and entrepreneurship
• Online marketing and customer relationship management
• Preparing material for effective and efficient learning
• Presenting learning materials online, content management

Skills learned and applied:

• Marketing, public relations, copywriting, and graphic design
• Accounting and Controlling for book projects
• Preparing contracts of publication
• Researching and writing grant proposals
• Supporting authors during the publication process