The CALM Lab is a research lab dedicated to the research and enhancement of psychological research in Cognition, Attention, Learning, and Memory. The CALM Lab is focused on developing students as researchers, as well as, furthering their development as students.

Our research program focuses on how individual differences in cognitive and motivational factors interact with environmental context to support the execution of future plans (termed prospective memory) in college students, healthy older adults and in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. I use behavioral and eye-tracking techniques to translate laboratory findings to real-world settings, such as the classroom. Students play an integral role in my research program, and we are currently investigating, 1) how contextual factors in the environment (e.g., images, sounds) and memory strategies influence prospective memory success in younger and older adults, and 2) how motivational factors (e.g., pro-social and self-interested motives) affect prospective and working memory.

*Accepting applications for Fall 2021 graduate students.*

Jill Shelton, Ph.D

Education & Degrees

Post-doctoral Fellow, Aging Training Grant, Washington University in St. Louis 2008-2011
Ph.D., Experimental Psychology (specialization in Cognitive/Developmental), Louisiana State University, 2008
M.S., Research Psychology, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, 2003
B S., Psychology, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, 2001

Teaching Interests

Cognitive Psychology

Psychology of aging

Experimental Psychology

Research Interests

Prospective memory

Individual differences in working memory and intelligence

Cognitive aging (both healthy aging and dementia)

Applying cognitive principles to the education setting

The distracting effects of cell phones

Consumer decision-making processes