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| Christopher A. Sanchez, Ph.D. | |
| Assistant Professor | |
| Cognitive Science & Engineering Program | |
| Arizona State University | |
| Santa Catalina Hall (SANCA) 150C | |
| 7271 E. Sonoran Arroyo Mall (M/C 2880) | |
| Mesa, AZ 85212 | |
| Office: 480.727.1589 | |
| Fax: 480.727.1538 | |
 : c.sanchez@asu.edu |
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Come see us at APS 2012 May 24-27 in Chicago, IL! : The ACTUAL lab will be well represented at the annual meeting of the APS this May, please stop by and see the following posters:
| - T.B. Garland & C.A.Sanchez; "Spatial Abilities and Dynamic Visualizations Influence on Learning from Instructional Media" |
| - P. Gutierrez, C.A. Sanchez & T.B. Garland; "Learning from Analogy-Promoting Diagrams and Text' |
| - J. Sinocruz & C.A. Sanchez; "Driving While Under Control: The Effects of Self-Regulation on Driving Performance" |
Spring '12 Classes: I am teaching the following classes in the Spring semester.
| - CSE 463: Introduction to HCI; Sched. line: 27094 |
| - PSY 360: Cognitive Science; Sched. line: 23936 |
| - SMC 520: Methods & Tools in ACS; Sched. line: 24087 |
I was born in Elgin, IL (just northwest of Chicago) and completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2001. Later that same year, I began graduate school (also at the University of Illinois at Chicago) working with Dr. Jennifer Wiley in the Cognitive Psychology program. After graduating, I accepted a position at Arizona State University, where I currently serve as an Assistant Professor in the Cognitive Science & Engineering Program (formerly known as the Applied Psychology program).
I am also the faculty sponsor for the Association of Students in Applied Psychology (ASAP), the official student club for applied psychology majors at ASU. If you have any questions about the applied psychology major, or the ASAP club, please feel free to contact me using the information above. I have several hobbies, all of which require more money or time than I can often spare. These include things such as hiking, playing the guitar, video games, and golf to name a few. I am also an ardent baseball and football fan.
My research falls broadly into 2 categories: (1) basic research focusing on cognitive abilities and performance in complex domains, and (2) the human factors of using/designing technology.
For example, on the more basic side, I am interested in how individuals' spatial and attentional abilities influence how people perform in complex domains such as science learning and analytical reasoning. I use this kind of information to determine different ways to present information to learners of different abilities, so that they understand the material as best as possible. I believe that cognitive abilities not only dictate what, but also how, we learn, and naturally are integral to the process of designing learning environments that maximize all individuals' learning potential.
Similarly, I am also interested in the design of interfaces and how software and hardware interact to affect end usage. Given the increasing use of smaller, more mobile, technologies, I feel it is imperative to have an appropriate understanding of what these technologies enable us to do (and not do) well. These issues must be investigated through quality research and the application of appropriate theory to improve and refine the final product.
While pursuing these lines of research, I have employed several different methodologies as a researcher, including think-aloud protocols, standard behavioral paradigms, advanced statistical modeling techniques, and also eyetracking.
If you are interested in becoming an undergraduate research assistant, or are considering applying to graduate school here at ASU, please contact me using the information above.
Current Sponsored Research Projects
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Collaborative Research: Attention, (re)action, and perception: Measuring presence in collaborative virtual environments. 04/01/2011-03/31/2013 (co-PI; PI: M. Montoya). |
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Collaborative Research: Cyber laboratory for integrating GIS into hydrology curriculum. 09/01/2011-008/31/2013 (co-PI; PI: B. Ruddell). |
Selected publications: (for a complete list of publications, please click HERE)
Banas, S. & Sanchez, C.A. (in press). Working memory capacity and learning underlying conceptual relationships across multiple documents. Applied Cognitive Psychology.
Sanchez, C.A. (2012). Enhancing visuospatial performance through video game training to increase learning in visuospatial science domains. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 19(1), 58-65 . 
Sanchez, C.A. (2011). Working through the pain: Working memory capacity and differences in processing and storage under physical pain. Memory, 19(2), 226-232.
Sanchez, C.A., & Branaghan, R.J. (2011). Turning to learn: Screen orientation and reasoning with small devices. Computers in Human Behavior, 27, 793-797.
Sanchez, C.A., & Wiley, J. (2010). Sex differences in science learning: Closing the gap through animations. Learning and Individual Differences. 20(3), 271-275.
Sanchez, C. A., & Wiley, J. (2009). To scroll or not to scroll: Scrolling, working memory capacity and comprehending complex text. Human Factors, 51(5), 730-738.
Selected presentations: (for a more complete list of presentations, please click HERE)
Garland, T.B., & Sanchez, C.A. (2011, November). Spatial Abilities and Learning Procedural Motor Tasks from Instructional Media. Poster presented at the 52nd annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Seattle, WA.
Banas, S., & Sanchez, C.A. (2011, September). Working memory and how it relates to learning implicit website structure. Paper presented at the 55th annual meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Las Vegas, NV.
Sanchez, C.A. (2011, April). Using video games to enhance learning of spatial science concepts. Poster presented at the 92nd Annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
Sanchez, C.A., & Wiley, J. (2008, July). Learning from scrolling interfaces: Interactions with working memory capacity. Poster presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, Washington, D.C.
Sanchez, C.A., & Branaghan, R.J. (2008, May). Map resolution, spatial ability and route reproduction. Poster presented at the 20th Annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.
Wiley, J., Sanchez, C.A., & Griffin, T.D. (2007, July). Designing for Understanding: The Impact of Tasks and Individual Differences on Learning Science from the Web. Paper presented at the 17th Annual Meeting of the Society for Text; Discourse, Glasgow, Scotland.
I also head the Applied Cognitive Theory, Usability and Learning (ACTUAL) laboratory at ASU. The goal of the ACTUAL lab is to use the principles of cognitive psychology to effectively design and evaluate learning environments and human interfaces. The ACTUAL lab is located in the ISTB III building on the Polytechnic campus.
Please visit the ACTUAL Lab webpage located at http://actuallab.asu.edu
Current projects being conducted within the ACTUAL Lab:
| cognitive abilities and learning science |
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| visual analogies and learning |
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| learning from mobile devices |
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| embodiment and procedural learning |
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| virtual collaboration and design |
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Lab alumni: Steven Banas, M.S.; James (Zach) Goolsbee, M.S.
Current lab members: Tegan Garland, Pedro Gutierrez, Shaun Lobsinger, Jerome Sinocruz
| Current Undergraduate Research Assistants (Spring 2012): |
| Elizabeth Brothers, Samantha Hicks, Gregory Jackson, Jennifer LaFlesch, Kyle Lindgard |
| Past Undergraduate Research Assistants: |
| Adrienne Boggess, Kelly Downes, Amanda Elson, Pedro Gutierrez, Kristina Hoffman, Harpreet Kaur, Shaun Lobsinger, Jason Mamangon, Alyssa Reid, Amber Robins, Lisa Thew, Jessica Voge, Elissa Webb |
I teach several classes both at the Polytechnic campus and online. Please note that these classes are not offered every semester. If you are interested in what I am teaching in a specific semester, please either see the announcements above or contact me.
PSY 230: Introduction to Statistics: This course provides an introduction to basic statistical concepts, and how to use and interpret statistics effectively.
PSY 290: Research Methods: This course provides hands-on insight on how to conduct research in psychology from the literature review stage, through design and data collection.
PSY 323: Sensation and Perception: This course provides a glimpse into our various sensory systems and provides a basis for understanding how we interact with our environment.
PSY 324: Memory & Cognition: This course provides an introduction to memory processing and theory and also provides a basic understanding of cognition and cognitive psychology.
PSY 330: Statistical Methods: This course provides a more in-depth view and explanation of advanced statistical methodology and its uses.
PSY 360: Cognitive Science: This course provides a history and introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Cognitive Science.
PSY 399: Supervised research: This is the course number if you would like to gain relevant experience in a psychological lab as an undergraduate research assistant. For every hour of credit you enroll for, you are expected to contribute 3 hours of time working in the lab. This course is highly recommended for those interested in pursuing graduate school.
PSY 437: Human Factors: This course is designed to give an introduction to the field of human factors and basic human factors concepts and methodologies.
PSY 438: Human-Computer Interaction : This course is designed to explore how humans interact with various technologies and how this interaction can be quantified and improved to maximize performance.
PSY 477: Applied Psychology Capstone Experience: This course is designed for senior level Applied Pscyhology majors. In this class, you will design, conduct and present original research projects that represent what you have learned while you were a major in AP. Admission into this course is by instructor approval ONLY.
PSY 494: Special topics: Topic varies by semester
SMC 520: Methods and Tools in Applied Cognitive Science: This graduate level course provides a background in critical methodology and experimentatal design in cognitive science.
| relevant ASU links: | ||
| ACTUAL Lab webpage | ||
| ASU Polytechnic homepage | ||
| ASUP Cognitive Science and Engineering Program (formerly Applied Psychology) | ||
| myASU | ||
| weather report for ASU Polytechnic | ||
| recent collaborators: | ||
| Jennifer Wiley, Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Chicago) | ||
| Russell Branaghan, Ph.D. (ASU) | ||
| Mitzi Montoya, Ph.D. (ASU) | ||
| Claire Lauer, Ph.D. (ASU) | ||
| Andrew R.A. Conway, Ph.D. (Princeton) | ||
| Susan R. Goldman, Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Chicago) | ||
| misc.: | ||
| chicago white sox | ||
| chicago bears | ||
| ubuntu (linux distro) | ||
The best way to get in touch with me is via email at c.sanchez@asu.edu. Please also feel free to contact me at my office phone number (480.727.1589) and leave a message if I do not answer.
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Last modified: 01-12-12. All rights reserved. |
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