Launa Leboe-McGowan

• PSYC 1200 - Introduction to Psychology
• PSYC 2480 - Cognitive Processes
• PSYC 3160 - Perception and Attention
• PSYC 3200 - Thinking Critically about Psychological Research
• PSYC 3610 - Memory
• PSYC 4540 - The Science of Intuition
• PSYC 7310 - The Science of Intuition

• PhD (Psychology), University of Manitoba, 2009
• MA (Psychology), University of Manitoba, 2006
• BA (Psychology), Simon Fraser University, June 1997

Research interests

• Constructive nature of auditory and visual perception
• Time perception
• Heuristics

Research summary

Cognitive illusions have provided an essential basis for understanding cognitive processes across a range of contexts. Such sources of error in the performance of cognitive tasks have been fundamental in instructing researchers about mechanisms underlying low-level perceptual experience, remembering, and judgment and decision-making. Essential for illuminating inefficiencies in human cognitive abilities, this research has also provided clues about basic cognitive mechanisms. One important outcome of adopting a research focus that emphasizes cognitive illusions is that human cognitive processing does not directly make contact with either the sensory environment or representations of prior experience. Instead, at least in part, all aspects of cognitive processing reflect an imperfect construction of reality. My research balances the more typical emphasis on bottom-up processes of perception by providing an investigation of top-down sources of error in perception of auditory and visual events. Because my goal is to obtain novel insights into fundamental cognitive processes, the knowledge gained from my research program will have broad applicability across a diversity of fields. 

• Dryden, R., Campbell, A. V., Perry, R.P., Hamm, J.M., Chipperfield, J.G., Parker, P. C., Leboe-McGowan, L. (2023). Assisting Students in Debt to Overcome Academic setbacks with a Cognitive-Reframing Motivation Intervention. Journal of Educational Psychology, 115(1), 55-72. 
• Parker, P. C., Perry, R. P., Chipperfield, J. G., Hamm, J. M., Li, J., Leboe-McGowan, L., Coffee, P. (2022). Motivation profiles of student-athletes and non-athletes in competitive achievement settings: A latent profile analysis. In J. H. Humphrey (Ed.), Journal of Contemporary Athletics, Vol. 15 (pp. 187-208). Nova Science Publishers.  
• Leboe-McGowan, L. C., Leboe-McGowan, J. P., Fornier, J., & Dowling, E. J. (2021). Non-Magnitude Sources of Bias on Duration Judgements for Blank Intervals: Conceptual Relatedness of Interval markers Reduces Subjective Interval Duration. Psychological Research, 1-25, DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01482-w. 
• Enright, D. T., Leboe-McGowan, L. C., & Hare, J. F. (2020). Richardson’s ground squirrel (Urocitellus richardsonii) alarm call receivers experience an auditory continuity illusion. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 74(3), 193-200. 
• Crump, M. J. C., Milliken, B., Leboe-McGowan, J., Leboe-McGowan, L., & Gao, X. (2018). Context-dependent control of Attention Capture: Evidence from proportion congruent effects. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 72(9), 91-104. 
• Parker, P. C., Perry, R. P., Chipperfield, J. C., Hamm, J. M., Hladkyj, S., & Leboe-McGowan, L. (2018). Attribution-based motivation treatment efficacy in high-stress student athletes: A moderated-mediation analysis of cognitive, affective, and achievement factors. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 35, 189-197. 
• Alards-Tomalin, D., Walker, A. C., Nepon, H., & Leboe-McGowan, L. C. (2017). Dual-task interference effects on cross-modal numerical order, and sound intensity judgments: The more the louder? Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 70(9), 1943-1963. 
• Alards-Tomalin, D., Walker, A. C., Kravetz, A., & Leboe-McGowan, L. C. (2016). Numerical context and time perception: Contrast effects and the perceived duration of numbers. Perception, 45, 222-245. 
• Alards-Tomalin, D., Walker, A. C., Shaw, J. D. M., & Leboe-McGowan, L. C. (2015). Is 9 louder than 1? Cross-modal congruency effects between number magnitude and sound loudness. Acta Psychologica, 160, 95-103. 
• Alards-Tomalin, D., Ansons, T., Reich, T., Sakamoto, Y., Davie, R., Leboe-McGowan, J., Leboe-McGowan, L. (2014). The Negative Impact of Risk-Based Airport Security Measures on Future Air Travel Intentions. Journal of Air Transport Management, 37, 60-68.
• Alards-Tomalin, D. W., Leboe-McGowan, J. P., Shaw, J., & Leboe-McGowan, L. C. (2014). The effects of numerical magnitude, size, and color saturation on perceived interval duration. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 40(2), 555-66.