Goldsmiths - University of London

Professor Jules Davidoff

BSc PhD DSc CPsychol FBPsS

Object recognition, colour, naming, cognitive neuropsychology

I am concerned with the mental representation of objects. My primary concern is to clarify the relationship between the stored (memory) knowledge concerning objects and their recognition, categorisation and nameability. The role of colour was addressed in my text Cognition through Color published by MIT Press (1991) and has been extended in current research. Working in cultures (Papua New Guinea and Namibia) with minimal colour lexicons we are studying the effects on the way speakers of the language perceive, categorise and remember colours. The issue is being addressed with infants with further funding from the ESRC and with monkeys in collaborative research with the CNRS Marseilles. Neuropsychological investigations have also played an important part of my research in object recognition and current work investigates difficulties in face and object recognition that result from brain damage.

Conference Secretary Experimental Psychology Society (2002-2006)

Selected publications

Biederman, I., Yue, X., & Davidoff, J. (in press). Representation of shape in individuals from a culture with minimal exposure to regular, simple artifacts: Sensitivity to nonaccidental versus metric properties. Psychological Science. [Download the PDF]

Davidoff, J. (2009). Multiple representations for perceptual categorisation, Comments on Warrington and Taylor's 1978 paper. Perception, 38, 940-942 [Download the PDF]

Lescroart, M. D., Biederman, I., Yue, X., & Davidoff, J. (in press). A cross-cultural study of the representation of shape: Sensitivity to generalized cone dimensions, Visual Cognition. [Download the PDF]

Davidoff, J., Goldstein, J. & Roberson, D. (2009) Nature vs. nurture: The simple contrast. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 102, 246-250. [Download the PDF]

Goldstein, J., Davidoff, J. & Roberson, D. (2009) Knowing color terms enhances recognition: Further evidence from English and Himba. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 102, 219-238. [Download the PDF]

Davidoff, J., Fonteneau, E. & Goldstein, J. (2008). Cultural differences in perception: observations from a remote culture. Journal of Cognition and Culture, 8(3-4), 189-209. [Download the PDF]

Davidoff, J., Fonteneau, E. & Fagot, J. (2008). Local and global processing: observations from a remote culture. Cognition, 108(3), 702-709. [Download the PDF]

Goldstein, J., & Davidoff, J. (2008). Categorical perception of animal patterns. British Journal of Psychology, 99, 229-243. [Download the PDF]

Powell, J., Letson, S., Davidoff, J., Valentine, T., and Greenwood, R. (2008). Enhancement of face recognition learning in patients with brain injury using three cognitive training procedures. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 18 (2), 182-203. [Download the PDF]

Angeli, A., Davidoff, J. & Valentine, T. (2007). Face Familiarity, Distinctiveness and Categorical Perception. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 61(5), 690-707. [Download the PDF]

Fonteneau, E. & Davidoff, J. (2007). Neural correlates of colour categories. Neuroreport, 18(13), 1323-1327. [Download the PDF]

de Fockert, J., Davidoff, J., Fagot, J., Parron, C. & Goldstein, J.  (2007) More accurate size contrast judgments in the Ebbinghaus illusion by a remote culture. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. [Download the PDF]

Thoma, V., Davidoff, J., & Hummel, J.E. (2007). Priming of Plane-Rotated Objects Depends on Attention and View Familiarity. Visual Cognition, 15, 179-210. [Download the PDF]

Davidoff, J. (2006). Color terms and Color concepts. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 94, 334-338. [Download the PDF]

Fagot, J. Goldstein, J., Davidoff, J. & Pickering, A. (2006). Cross-species differences in color categorization. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 13, 275-280. [Download the PDF]

Roberson, D., Davidoff, J., Davies, I.R.L. & Shapiro, L. R. (2006) Colour Categories and Category Acquisition in Himba and English. In N. Pitchford & C. Bingham (Eds.) Progress in Colour Studies, 159-172. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Thoma, V. & Davidoff. J. (2006). Priming of Depth-Rotated Objects Depends on Attention and Part Changes. Experimental Psychology, 53, 31-47. [Download the PDF]

Davidoff. J. & Luzzatti, C. (2005). Language impairment and colour categories. Commentary on Steels and Belpaeme. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 28, 494-495. [Download the PDF]

Roberson, D., Davidoff, J., Davies, I. & Shapiro, L. (2005). Color categories: evidence for the relativity hypothesis. Cognitive Psychology, 50, 378-411. [Download the PDF]

Davidoff, J. (2005). Two types of thought: Evidence from aphasia. Commentary on Pothos. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 28, 20-21. [Download the PDF]

Davidoff, J. (2004). Coloured Thinking. Psychologist, 17, 570-572. [Download the PDF]

Roberson, D., Davidoff, J., Davies, I. & Shapiro, L. (2004). The development of color categories in two languages: a longitudinal study. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 133, 554-571. [Download the PDF]

Thoma, V., Hummel, J.E. & Davidoff, J. (2004). Evidence for holistic representations of ignored images and analytic representations of attended images. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 30, 257-267. [Download the PDF]

Davidoff, J. & Roberson, D. (2004) Preserved thematic and impaired taxonomic categorisation: a case study. Language and Cognitive Processes, 19, 137-174. [Download the PDF]

Kremin, H., Akhutina, T., Basso, A., Davidoff, J., De Wilde, M., Kitzing, P., Lorenz, A., Perrier, D., van der Sandt-Koenderman, M., Vendrell, J. & Weniger, D. (2003). A cross-linguistic data base for oral picture naming in Dutch, English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Swedish (PEDIO). Brain and Cognition, 53, 243-246. [Download the PDF]

Kentridge, R.W., Heywood, C.A. & Davidoff, J. (2003) Color Perception. In, M.A. Arbib (Ed.) The Handbook of Brain Theory and Neural Networks Second Edition. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.2nd edition pp.230-233.

Roberson, D., Davidoff, J. & Shapiro, L. (2002) Squaring the circle: The cultural relativity of ‘good’ shape. Journal of Culture and Cognition, 2, 29-53. [Download the PDF]

Davidoff, J. & Roberson, D. (2002). Development of animal recognition: A difference between parts and wholes. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 81, 217-234. [Download the PDF]

Davidoff, J. (2002). Language forms the internal color space. In B.Saunders & J. van Brakel (eds.) Theories, Technologies, Instrumentalities of Color. Lanham, M.D.: University Press of America. pp. 281-288.

Roberson, D, Davies, I. & Davidoff, J. (2002). Color categories are not universal: replications and new evidence. In B.Saunders & J. van Brakel (eds.) Theories, Technologies, Instrumentalities of Color. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. pp. 25-35. [Download the PDF]

Angeli, A., Davidoff, J. & Valentine, T. (2001). Distinctiveness induces categorical perception of unfamiliar faces. Perception, 30, Supplement, 58.

Davidoff, J. & Warrington, E.K. (2001). A particular difficulty in discriminating between mirror images. Neuropsychologia, 39, 1022-1036. [Download the PDF]

Davidoff, J. (2001). Language and perceptual categorisation. Trends in Cognitive Science, 5, 382-387. [Download the PDF]

Davidoff, J. (2001). Category-specific deficits: will a simpler model do? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 24, 481-483. [Download the PDF]

Lessiter, J., Freeman, J. Keogh, E. & Davidoff, J. (2001) A cross-media presence questionnaire: The ITC Sense of Presence Inventory. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 10, 282- 297.

Grants & awards

Davidoff, J. Major Research Fellowship. Leverhulme Trust. £60,000. Oct. 2003 - Oct. 2005.

Davidoff, J., Co-Principal Investigator with Dr J. Fagot, CNRS Marseilles. Categorical Perception and its role in the evolution of language. European Science Foundation. £37,000. (2003 – 2005).

Davidoff, J., Davies, I. de Haan, M. & Roberson, D. (Partners: CNRS Marseilles, CNR Rome, University of Portsmouth, University of Lund and Max Planck EVA Leipzig). Stages in the evolution and development of sign use. 6th Framework EC call on “What it means to be human”. €1.5 Million.

Davidoff, J. Colour categorisation in infants. ESRC. £41,250. (2002 – 2003).

Davidoff, J. with Davies, I. Corbett, G. & Roberson, D. A developmental and cross-cultural analysis of colour categorisation. ESRC. £198,763. (1999 – 2002).

Davidoff, J. Research into Immersive Television. Independent Television Commission. £386,230. (1999 - 2002).

Davidoff, J. Postgraduate Scholarship in Immersive Television. Independent Television Commission. £24,000. (1999 – 2002).

Principal investigator for:

"A local bias in attention" ESRC. £507,620 (FEC). 2009-2012.

Stages in the evolution and development of sign use (SEDSU). Application in the 6th Framework EU call on “What it means to be human”.  Total award €1.5 Million. Partners: CNRS Marseilles, CNR Rome, University of Portsmouth, University of Lund and Max Planck EVA Leipzig. (ends April 2008).

The Development of Object Recognition into Adolescence: ESRC with Aston University. £515,391 (FEC). 2007-2010.

A developmental and cross-cultural analysis of colour categorisation: ESRC with Prof I.Davies (Surrey), Prof, G.Corbett (Surrey)& Dr D.Roberson (Essex) £198,763 1999-2002

Immediate Media for Televised Events: Independent Television Commission £386,230, 1999-2002.

Multiple Brain Systems and the Rehabilitation of Face Recognition: McDonnell Foundation: $59,760 1998-2000.

The Application of Psychological Evaluation to Systems and Technologies in Remote Imaging and Entertainment Services (TAPESTRIES): European Union: (with Prof D. Pearson and Prof M. Ghanbari) £470,324 1996-1998