Lexie Topete

Graduate Student

Advisor

Research Area

Cognition, Perception, and Cognitive Neuroscience

Biography

Lexie Topete completed her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Utah. She started her graduate studies at UCSB under the supervision of Dr. Mary Hegarty in 2020. Lexie's interest in spatial cognition developed through a love of hiking and exploring, and has since evolved into an academic career path.

Research

My broad research interest is in spatial cognition, with an emphasis on how technological developments (like GPS and virtual environments) may influence the acquisition and maintenance of spatial ability and navigation. I am also interested in understanding how various individual differences play a mediating role in the development of effective spatial strategies (and if this affects how people utilize these technologies). 

[Spatial cognition, impact of working memory on navigation, mediators of spatial learning and cognition, human factors]