Dr Claudia von Bastian

School of Psychology

Senior Lecturer

Photo of Claudia von Bastian
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C.C.vonBastian@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 6560

Full contact details

Dr Claudia von Bastian
School of Psychology
Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences (ICOSS)
219 Portobello
Sheffield
S1 4DP
Profile

I am a cognitive psychologist and head of the Cognitive Ability & Plasticity Lab. My research focuses on cognitive individual differences and how cognitive abilities can change through experience.

I obtained my Ph.D. from the University of Zurich, where I worked with Klaus Oberauer. During my PhD, I also spent a year at the University of Bristol as a visiting researcher in Chris Jarrold's lab. Afterward, I returned to the University of Zurich as a Research Associate and Lecturer. Before joining The University of Sheffield, I was a Research Associate in Akira Miyake's lab at the University of Colorado Boulder, working in close collaboration with Mike Kane, and later a Lecturer in Psychology at Bournemouth University.

Qualifications
  • PhD Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland (summa cum laude)
  • MSc Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland (summa cum laude)
Research interests

My work aims at advancing our understanding of individual differences in cognitive abilities and how they can change through experience.

Mechanisms and structure of cognitive abilities

How do people differ in their cognitive abilities? Understanding cognitive individual differences is essential for identifying the best targets for interventions. Given their central role in human cognition, my work focuses particularly on working memory, attentional control and executive functions, and reasoning ability.

Experience-based plasticity

How do experiences shape our thinking, and how can we boost cognitive performance? To answer these questions, I investigate everyday experiences and leisure activities such as being bilingual or playing video games, and I develop and evaluate targeted interventions such as cognitive training or non-invasive brain stimulation. I am particularly interested in the theoretical mechanisms underpinning cognitive change.

Bridging research traditions and approaches

I have experienced looking beyond my own area of research not only as really exciting and enriching, but also incredibly fruitful for finding novel ways to answer the questions that propel my research. I therefore often combine approaches from experimental and differential psychology, and I use computational/mathematical as well as statistical modelling methods to better understand both behavioural and cognitive-neuroscientific data.

Open science and big team science

Throughout my work, I promote and follow open science best practices by regularly pre registering my work, openly sharing my research data and scripts, and by developing and maintaining the open-source experiment software Tatool Web alongside experimental materials for anyone to use for free. Furthermore, I have been local Co-Lead of the UK Reproducibility Network and created the role of departmental Open Science Lead to promote robust, transparent, and replicable research practices locally in my department and institution. I am also regularly involved in big team science such as with the Psychological Science Accelerator and other international multi-labs studies, such as the #EEGManyLabs.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

Chapters

  • Guye S, Röcke C, Mérillat S, von Bastian CC & Martin M (2021) Cognitive Training Across the Adult Lifespan, Cognitive Training (pp. 141-152). Springer International Publishing RIS download Bibtex download
  • von Bastian C, Guye S & De Simoni C (2019) How strong is the evidence for the effectiveness of working memory training? In Novick JM, Bunting MF, Dougherty MR & Engle RW (Ed.), Cognitive and Working Memory Training Perspectives from Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development (pp. 58-75). Oxford University Press, USA RIS download Bibtex download
  • Guye S, Röcke C, Mérillat S, von Bastian CC & Martin M (2016) Adult Lifespan, Cognitive Training (pp. 45-55). Springer International Publishing RIS download Bibtex download

Conference proceedings papers

All publications

Journal articles

Chapters

  • Guye S, Röcke C, Mérillat S, von Bastian CC & Martin M (2021) Cognitive Training Across the Adult Lifespan, Cognitive Training (pp. 141-152). Springer International Publishing RIS download Bibtex download
  • von Bastian C, Guye S & De Simoni C (2019) How strong is the evidence for the effectiveness of working memory training? In Novick JM, Bunting MF, Dougherty MR & Engle RW (Ed.), Cognitive and Working Memory Training Perspectives from Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development (pp. 58-75). Oxford University Press, USA RIS download Bibtex download
  • Guye S, Röcke C, Mérillat S, von Bastian CC & Martin M (2016) Adult Lifespan, Cognitive Training (pp. 45-55). Springer International Publishing RIS download Bibtex download

Conference proceedings papers

  • Guye S, von Bastian C, Rocke C & Martin M (2016) DOES PERSONALITY PREDICT WORKING MEMORY TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS IN OLDER ADULTS?. GERONTOLOGIST, Vol. 56 (pp 578-579) RIS download Bibtex download
  • von Bastian C & Oberauer K (2013) Does Training of Working Memory Improve Intelligence?. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Vol. 27 (pp 44-44) RIS download Bibtex download
  • von Bastian CC, Schwaninger A & Michel S (2009) The impact of color composition on X-ray image interpretation in aviation security screening. 43rd Annual 2009 International Carnahan Conference on Security Technology, 5 October 2009 - 8 October 2009. RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

Research group

Neuroscience and Cognition

Are you interested in joining our lively lab as a voluntary research assistant, PhD student or postdoctoral researcher? Please read the information on this website first before contacting me.

Grants

• ESRC (2023-2026), “Strategy training to support healthy cognitive ageing: behavioural, neuroimaging, and real-world investigations” (£799,864), Co-I. With Louise Nicholls (PI; University of Strathclyde), Mario Parra Rodriguez (University of Strathclyde), Richard Allen (University of Leeds), & Mel Burke (University of Leeds).

• EPS (2023-2024), “How do we encode novel feature bindings in working memory? A test of serial and parallel processing models” (£9,836), PI.

• ORA VI ESRC, DFG, & SSHRC (2021-2024), “Cognitive training effects across the adult lifespan: A diffusion modelling approach” (£761,482), PI. With Tilo Strobach (Medical School Hamburg, Germany) & Sylvie Belleville (University of Montreal, Canada).

• British Academy (2019), “Limits when multi-tasking” (£9,983), Co-I. With Candice Morey (PI; Cardiff University) & Evie Vergauwe (University of Geneva, Switzerland).

• White Rose University Consortium (2018-2019), “Assessing functional ability in older adults” (£9,619), PI. with Richard Allen (University of Leeds), Fiona McNab (University of York), Tom Stafford, George Pavlidis, James Stone (University of Leeds), Alan Baddeley (University of York), Jessica Andrews-Hanna (University of Arizona, USA), & André Locher (Tatool Web).

• German Research Foundation (DFG; 2016-2019), “Plasticity of large-scale neural connectivity following working memory training” (£289,105), collaborator. With Kathrin Koch & Igor Yakushev (Technical University Munich, Germany).

• Suzanne and Hans Biäsch Foundation (2014-2016), “Features of an adequate control group for cognitive training studies” (£31,746), mentor. With Carla De Simoni (PI).

• Suzanne and Hans Biäsch Foundation (2014-2016), “Individual differences in the effectiveness of working memory training in older adults” (£44,988), mentor. With Sabrina Guye (PI).

• Swiss National Science Foundation (2013-2016), “Transfer effects of function-based working-memory training” (£199,263), PI. With Klaus Oberauer (applicant).

• Suzanne and Hans Biäsch Foundation (2014-2016), “Is there a bilingual executive processing advantage?” (£30,548), Co-I. With Miriam Gade (PI) & Alessandra Souza.

• Suzanne and Hans Biäsch Foundation (2011-2012), “Neural correlates of working memory training” (£44,359), PI.

• Forschungskredit Candoc, University of Zurich (2011-2012), “Training and transfer effects in working memory across the life-span” (£36,612), PI.

• Forschungskredit Candoc, University of Zurich (2009-2011), “Training and transfer effects in working memory” (£107,509), PI.

Teaching activities

Over the past years, I have been teaching cognitive psychology, research methods and statistics, and coding for psychologists in R and JavaScript. I am also a personal tutor to students at all levels and I regularly supervise undergraduate students for their extended essays, and postgraduate students for their MSc dissertations.

Professional activities and memberships

I am a Governing Board Member and Fellow of the Psychonomic Society. I am also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), a Member of the Experimental Psychology Society (EPS), and the European Society for Cognitive Psychology (ESCoP). I am also co-organising the ESCOP 2025 Conference in Sheffield.

Until recently, I held Action Editor roles at Behavior Research Methods and Communications Psychology. I have also acted as Guest Editor at the Journal of Cognition and Brain Sciences. I am an Editorial Board Member for several journals (Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, Journal of Intelligence, and Frontiers in Psychology).

In our department, I am currently Director of Postgraduate Taught Programme managing the Cognitive Neuroscience Courses, and Deputy Lead of the Cognitive and Neural Processes Across the Lifespan Research Cluster.

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 FindAPhD.com

See the PhD studentship opportunities with Claudia von Bastian.

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