Ben Bauer
Associate Professor

Research interests:

My research interests fall under the rubric of Human Vision Science and its Applications.  At the basic level,

I study human vision and attention.  The goal of this area of research is to identify properties of visual objects

that allow them to be found efficiently (accurately and rapidly) in cluttered visual scenes.  Using these properties

I am validating a simple decision-rule model for visual detection. Practical applications of the model are location

and tracking of symbology on visual displays, conspicuousness and camouflage for objects in various environments

and image compression.

The second area of work is the application of Human Factors principles to specification and design of telecommunication

networks and devices.  The goal here is to provide clear human-factors-based targets to designers so that the user-visible

impacts of chaotic packet networks are minimized.  The first task is to create a common language and understanding of the

problem  and the opportunities, followed by empirically validated guidelines.  Students should have taken PSYC 225H and 366H. 

Suggested course for Human Factors focus: (Computer Science/Studies) COST 396.

Teaching

PSYC 2010H-A FA OSH:           Thinking Critically about Psychology
PSYC 3460H-A FA OSH:           Sensation and Perception

PSYC 2400H-A WI OSH:          Intro to Cognitive Psyc

PSYC 3430H-A WI OSH:          Memory

Selected publications

Bauer, B., & Patrick, A.S. (2004).  A Human Factors Extension to the Seven-Layer OSI Reference Model.

http://www.andrewpatrick.ca/OSI/10layer.html

Bauer, B.,  Jolicoeur, P., & Cowan, Wm. (1999).  A test of the convex hull hypothesis in visual search for colour targets. 

  Vision Research, 39, 2681-2695.

Bauer, B.,  Jolicoeur, P., & Cowan, Wm. (1998).  The linear separability effect in colour visual search:

   Ruling out the additive-colour hypothesis.  Perception & Psychophysics, 60, 1083-1093.

Bauer, B., & McFadden, S. (1997).  Linear separability and redundant colour coding in visual search displays.

   Displays, 18, 21-28.