Dr Alon Zivony

School of Psychology

Lecturer in Psychology

Photo of Alon Zivony
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a.zivony@sheffield.ac.uk

Full contact details

Dr Alon Zivony
School of Psychology
Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences (ICOSS)
219 Portobello
葫芦影业
S1 4DP
Profile

I am a cognitive psychologist and neuroscientist, interested in selective attention (particularly, the temporal dynamics of attention) and its connections to perception, as well as expectations, working memory, and consciousness. My current research project is concerned with how attention and temporal selectivity results in the perception of discrete objects. I use both behavioural and electrophysiological methods in my research. Outside my main interest in visual cognition, I have studied prejudice towards sexual minority groups. I completed my BA (psychology), MA (cognitive psychology), and PhD (cognitive psychology) from Tel-Aviv University, with the latter obtained in 2019. After my PhD, I worked as post-doctoral research fellow in Birkbeck, University of London. I started my lectureship in the University of 葫芦影业 in September 2023.

Qualifications
  • 2019 - PhD, Cognitive Psychology Program, School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University. Supervised by Prof. Dominique Lamy.
  • 2012 - M.A., Cognitive Psychology Program, School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University. Supervised by Prof. Dominique Lamy.
  • 2010 - B.A., School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University.
Research interests

My current research project concerns two of the oldest questions in the field of attention: (i) how does the brain 鈥渄ecide鈥 which information is relevant, and (ii) how this selective process results in the perception of discrete objects. Recently, I developed a new framework for selective attention and conscious perception, the diachronic account (from the Greek words "through", 未喂伪, and "time", 蠂蟻蠈谓慰蟼), that aims to answer both questions. As its name suggests, the diachronic account emphasizes how selective attention unfolds over time. With this framework, I aim to study questions about selectivity in time and its relationship to perception in dynamic environments and functioning in everyday tasks (such as reading or driving).

I am also interested in studying prejudice against sexual and gender minorities. I believe that incorrect assumption about sexuality in general can underlie prejudice towards people from sexual and gender minorities (a "stereotype deduction" account). Therefore, exposing these incorrect assumptions and their connections to prejudice can play a role in tackling biases and improving the lives of sexual and gender minorities.

Research group

Neuroscience and Cognition

Grants
  • 2023 - British Academy/Leverhulme Small Grant (Perceived gender non-conformity of transgender people's facial features and its association to transgender prejudice)
  • 2021-2023 鈥 Marie Sk艂odowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (The Temporal Dynamics of Attention)
  • 2019-2021 鈥 Newton International Fellowship, awarded by The British Academy (Voluntary shifts of attention: behavioral and electrophysiological consequences)
Teaching activities
  • PSY2002 Cognitive Psychology II
  • PSY331 Extended Essay in Psychology
  • PSY346 Research Project in Psychology
PhD Opportunities

I am happy to receive applications for PhD study in my area of research.

We advertise PhD opportunities (Funded or Self-Funded) on 

For further information, please see the department PhD Opportunities page.