Derek Arnold
Source: https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/1630 Parent: https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/601
Professor
Derek Arnold
Email: : d.arnold@psy.uq.edu.au
Phone: : *
Positions
Professor : School of Psychology : Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Overview
Background
Prof. Derek Arnold
Prof. Arnold studied at Macquarie University before taking up research positions at the University of Sydney and University College London. He took up a continuing position at the University of Queensland in April, 2006.
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Availability
Professor Derek Arnold is: : Available for supervision : Media expert
Fields of research
Cognitive and computational psychology Neurosciences Psychology
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Macquarie University
Research interests
-
Sensory Processing
I am interested in how brain activity generates conscious perceptual experiences. Some of my specific interests are... 1) Imagined Sensory Experiences: People have different levels of ability to have imagined sensory experiences. Some people cannot evoke imagined experiences at all (aphantasics) while others have unusually intense imagined experiences (hyperphantasics / synaesthetes). What features of brain activity are responsible for these differences? 2) The human brain has been described as a predictive machine. How does it generate and implement the predictions that allow us to interact with our dynamic environment - so we can catch or avoid flying objects? 3) The human brain generates feelings of confidence whenever we make a perceptual decision. What features of sensory brain activity govern these feelings of confidence? 4) Humans can judge the relative timing of different events, and the extent of time that passes during an event. How do our brains encode time and timing? 5) In the human brain, different sensory analyses are often independent of one another, taking place in different brain regions and completed at different rates. How do these analyses combine to create subjectively unified experiences?
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Research impacts
Prof. Arnold's research is focussed on understanding the computational processes and brain activity that underlie perceptual experience, decisions and feelings of confidence. This basic science can inform the development of advanced technologies, such as brain-computer interfaces and artifical visual systems. For these reasons, Prof. Arnold's research is cited in patent applications.
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Works
Search Professor Derek Arnold’s works on UQ eSpace
All (162) Journal Article (115) Other Outputs (21) Conference Publication (24) Book Chapter (2)
2026
Other Outputs
People report having idiosyncratic ‘diets’ of different types of imagined sensation when they re-experience the past, and pre-experience the future.
Derek H. Arnold, Loren Bouyer, Blake W. Saurels and D. Samuel Schwarzkopf (2026). People report having idiosyncratic ‘diets’ of different types of imagined sensation when they re-experience the past, and pre-experience the future.. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/d65d744
2026
Other Outputs
Intrusive thoughts better predict the strengths of people’s imagined experiences than semantic priming from imagery.
Derek H. Arnold and Loren N. Bouyer (2026). Intrusive thoughts better predict the strengths of people’s imagined experiences than semantic priming from imagery.. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/27cf21a
2026
Journal Article
The Twinkle-Goes illusion impacts motor planning, and is likely perceptual in origin
Saurels, Blake W., Jilek, Benjamin R. and Arnold, Derek H. (2026). The Twinkle-Goes illusion impacts motor planning, and is likely perceptual in origin. Vision Research, 238 108714, 108714. doi: 10.1016/j.visres.2025.108714
The Twinkle-Goes illusion impacts motor planning, and is likely perceptual in origin
2025
Journal Article
Mental rotation is a weak measure of people’s propensity to visualise
Arnold, Derek H., Bouyer, Loren N., Saurels, Blake W., Pellicano, Elizabeth and Schwarzkopf, D. Samuel (2025). Mental rotation is a weak measure of people’s propensity to visualise. Consciousness and Cognition, 133 103907, 103907. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2025.103907
Mental rotation is a weak measure of people’s propensity to visualise
2025
Conference Publication
Imagery priming of binocular rivalry is not a reliable metric of individual differences in the subjective vividness of visualisations
Bouyer, Loren N., Schwarzkopf, Dietrich S., Saurels, Blake W. and Arnold, Derek H. (2025). Imagery priming of binocular rivalry is not a reliable metric of individual differences in the subjective vividness of visualisations. Vision Sciences Society Annual Meeting 2025, St. Pete Beach, FL United States, 16-20 May 2025. Rockville, MD United States: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. doi: 10.1167/jov.25.9.2007
2025
Journal Article
Repetition violating events do not enhance sensitivity to embedded content, but repeated events can reduce sensitivity
Saurels, Blake W., Ma, Qingyu and Arnold, Derek H. (2025). Repetition violating events do not enhance sensitivity to embedded content, but repeated events can reduce sensitivity. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 51 (7), 837-849. doi: 10.1037/xhp0001324
2025
Other Outputs
Mental Rotation Strategies
Derek H. Arnold (2025). Mental Rotation Strategies. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/08c31c8
2025
Other Outputs
Pink Elephants: Intrusive Thoughts Project
Derek H. Arnold, Blake W. Saurels and Loren N. Bouyer (2025). Pink Elephants: Intrusive Thoughts Project. The University of Queensland. (Dataset)
Pink Elephants: Intrusive Thoughts Project
2025
Journal Article
What makes a theory of consciousness unscientific?
IIT-Concerned, Arnold, Derek H., Baxter, Mark G., Bekinschtein, Tristan A., Bengio, Yoshua, Bisley, James W., Browning, Jacob, Buonomano, Dean, Carmel, David, Carrasco, Marisa, Carruthers, Peter, Carter, Olivia, Chang, Dorita H. F., Charest, Ian, Cherkaoui, Mouslim, Cleeremans, Axel, Cohen, Michael A., Corlett, Philip R., Christoff, Kalina, Cumming, Sam, Cushing, Cody A., de Gelder, Beatrice, De Brigard, Felipe, Dennett, Daniel C., Dijkstra, Nadine, Doerig, Adrien, Dux, Paul E., Fleming, Stephen M., Frankish, Keith ... Snyder, Joel S. (2025). What makes a theory of consciousness unscientific?. Nature Neuroscience, 28 (4), 1-5. doi: 10.1038/s41593-025-01881-x
What makes a theory of consciousness unscientific?
2025
Journal Article
The vividness of visualisations and autistic trait expression are not strongly associated
Bouyer, Loren N., Pellicano, Elizabeth, Saurels, Blake W., Schwarzkopf, D. Samuel and Arnold, Derek H. (2025). The vividness of visualisations and autistic trait expression are not strongly associated. Consciousness and Cognition, 129 103821, 103821. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2025.103821
The vividness of visualisations and autistic trait expression are not strongly associated
2025
Journal Article
Objective priming from pre-imagining inputs before binocular rivalry presentations does not predict individual differences in the subjective intensity of imagined experiences
Bouyer, Loren N., Schwarzkopf, Dietrich S., Saurels, Blake W. and Arnold, Derek H. (2025). Objective priming from pre-imagining inputs before binocular rivalry presentations does not predict individual differences in the subjective intensity of imagined experiences. Cognition, 256 106048, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2024.106048
2025
Journal Article
Don't think of a pink elephant: individual differences in visualisation predict involuntary imagery and its neural correlates
Arnold, Derek H., Hutchinson, Mary, Bouyer, Loren N., Schwarzkopf, D. Samuel, Pellicano, Elizabeth and Saurels, Blake W. (2025). Don't think of a pink elephant: individual differences in visualisation predict involuntary imagery and its neural correlates. Cortex, 183, 53-65. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.10.020
2025
Other Outputs
Twinkle-Goes Illusion Data - The extrapolation data (ms) for Experiment 1
Saurels, Blake W. and Arnold, Derek H. (2025). Twinkle-Goes Illusion Data - The extrapolation data (ms) for Experiment 1. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/553b99c
Twinkle-Goes Illusion Data - The extrapolation data (ms) for Experiment 1
2025
Other Outputs
DATA FOR: Repetition violating events do not enhance sensitivity to embedded content, but repeated events can reduce sensitivity - Updated
Saurels, Blake and Arnold, Derek (2025). DATA FOR: Repetition violating events do not enhance sensitivity to embedded content, but repeated events can reduce sensitivity - Updated. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/0747161
2024
Other Outputs
Ear worms: priming from earworms is predicted by individual differences in the salience of imagined sounds
Arnold, Derek H. (2024). Ear worms: priming from earworms is predicted by individual differences in the salience of imagined sounds. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/43cad66
2024
Conference Publication
The effects of spatiotemporal uncertainty on metacognition in orientation ensemble perception
Lee, Alan L. F., Tam, Gabriel and Arnold, Derek H. (2024). The effects of spatiotemporal uncertainty on metacognition in orientation ensemble perception. Vision Sciences Society Annual Meeting 2024, St. Pete Beach, FL United States, 17-22 May 2024. Rockville, MD United States: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. doi: 10.1167/jov.24.10.1426
The effects of spatiotemporal uncertainty on metacognition in orientation ensemble perception
2024
Other Outputs
Binocular rivalry and imagery
Bouyer, Loren N., Schwarzkopf, Dietrich S., Saurels, Blake W. and Arnold, Derek H. (2024). Binocular rivalry and imagery. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/00effb3
2024
Journal Article
The precision test of metacognitive sensitivity and confidence criteria
Arnold, Derek H., Clendinen, Mitchell, Johnston, Alan, Lee, Alan L.F. and Yarrow, Kielan (2024). The precision test of metacognitive sensitivity and confidence criteria. Consciousness and Cognition, 123 103728, 103728. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103728
The precision test of metacognitive sensitivity and confidence criteria
2024
Other Outputs
Pink Elephants Project
Arnold, Derek H., Bouyer, Loren N. and Saurels, Blake W. (2024). Pink Elephants Project. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/8c236f2
2024
Journal Article
Deep Aphantasia: a visual brain with minimal influence from priors or inhibitory feedback?
Bouyer, Loren N. and Arnold, Derek H. (2024). Deep Aphantasia: a visual brain with minimal influence from priors or inhibitory feedback?. Frontiers in Psychology, 15 1374349, 1374349. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1374349
Deep Aphantasia: a visual brain with minimal influence from priors or inhibitory feedback?
Funding
Current funding
- 2025 - 2028
Aphantasia, imagined experiences and the interconnectivity of human brains
ARC Discovery Projects
Past funding
- 2020 - 2024
Novel psychophysical paradigms for examining predictive coding in vision
ARC Discovery Projects
Open grant - 2018 - 2021
Why does time seem to drag and fly?
ARC Discovery Projects
Open grant - 2014
The emotional face (ARC Discovery Project administered by Curtin University of Technology)
Curtin University of Technology
Open grant - 2014 - 2016
Distorted Time Perceptions: Altered neural coding or decisional criteria?
ARC Discovery Projects
Open grant - 2014 - 2018
Human Vision: Predicting the present? Suppressing the past?
ARC Future Fellowships
Open grant - 2012 - 2014
ResTeach Funding 2012 0.2 FTE School of Psychology
UQ ResTeach
Open grant - 2011
An eye-tracking and neuro-stimulation laboratory for cognitive neuroscience research
UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
Open grant - 2011 - 2014
The emotional face
ARC Discovery Projects
Open grant - 2010
A computer laboratory and data storage for behavioural research
UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
Open grant - 2010
UQ Travel Awards Category 1, Kielan Yarrow
UQ Travel Grants Scheme
Open grant - 2009 - 2013
Human Time Perception
ARC Discovery Projects
Open grant - 2008 - 2010
Determinants and consequences of conscious visual awareness
ARC Discovery Projects
Open grant - 2008
User-friendly equipment for central nervous and cardiovascular psychopshysiology
UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
Open grant - 2007 - 2009
When and for how long? Identifying the neural mechanisms for time perception.
UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards - DVC(R) Funding
Open grant - 2006 - 2007
Integration of Visual and Auditory Timing Cues
UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
Open grant - 2006 - 2008
Motion and Spatial Coding in Vision
ARC Discovery Projects
View all 16 past funded projects View less
Supervision
Availability
Professor Derek Arnold is: : Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
- Doctor Philosophy
##### Investigating the Relationship Between Prediction and Attention in Response to Emotional Stimuli in the Human Brain
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Jess Taubert, Dr Margaret Moore - Doctor Philosophy
##### Aphantasia: Predicting the intensity of imagined sensory experiences from measures of brain activity
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Jess Taubert
Completed supervision
- 2022
Doctor Philosophy
##### The perceptual and neural consequences of different types of prediction
Principal Advisor - 2022
Master Philosophy
##### Eyes Closed Oscillatory Alpha Dynamics in Vision
Principal Advisor - 2022
Doctor Philosophy
##### Perceptual filling-in across the physiological blind-spot
Principal Advisor - 2020
Doctor Philosophy
##### Measuring perception with confidence
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Thomas Suddendorf - 2020
Doctor Philosophy
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Guy Wallis - 2016
Doctor Philosophy
##### Norms are not the norm: Testing theories of sensory encoding using visual aftereffects
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Guy Wallis - 2012
Doctor Philosophy
##### Staying in Sync: Strategies to determine audiovisual synchrony in temporally cluttered environments
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jason Mattingley - 2010
Doctor Philosophy
##### Pencils & erasers: Interactions between motion and spatial coding in human vision
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jason Mattingley - 2013
Doctor Philosophy
Associate Advisor
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Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Derek Arnold directly for media enquiries about:
- Brain and perception
- Neuroscience and perception
- Perception
- Psychology and perception
- Visual perception
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