Contact Information Phone: (773) 995-2118 Email: maldugom@csu.edu Office: HWH - 216

Education Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology University of Iowa MA in Cognitive Psychology University of Iowa B.S. in Psychology North Park University

Research

My research background includes topics in cognition and learning in child and adult populations. Specifically, I'm interested in how hand gestures interact with learning and memory, what information learners gain from viewing gestures, and at a mechanistic level, how viewing gestures enhances learning. Research has shown that when an instructor gestures, learners perform better. Why does gesture enhance instruction? Do certain learners benefit more from gesture at instruction? Do individual differences in working memory, attention, or spatial thinking relate to learning with gesture? How much exposure to gesture is necessary for this benefit? My current research projects are exploring these questions.

Courses Taught

• Introduction to Psychology
• Introduction to Behavioral Research Methods
• Independent Study

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