Graduate Student & Lab Manager
Christopher Draheim
Research Interests
- Individual differences in executive functioning, namely working memory capacity, fluid intelligence, and attention control
- Individual differences in performance monitoring and adjustments
- Measurement of executive function tasks
Select Publications
About
I was born and raised just outside of Detroit, MI. I earned my undergraduate degree in psychology with Dr. Arlo Clark-Foos at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, who I owe a lot to - without Arlo’s mentorship and encouragement I would not have pursued a career in cognitive psychology.
My primary research interests are the nature and assessment of higher cognitive abilities (mainly working memory capacity, attention control, and fluid intelligence), how to improve the measurement of these psychological constructs, and the relationships among them. I am also interested in the individual differences in speed-accuracy tradeoffs, such as performance monitoring and performance adjustments, which I see an under-studied area. I believe speed-accuracy adjustments to be both a conscious strategy and an aspect of performance monitoring that higher ability individuals engage in more than lower ability individuals. However, lower ability individuals appear to make speed-accuracy adjustments in the right circumstances, such as with frequent feedback and in conditions of lower cognitive load. This complex interaction between ability, task demands, and feedback is an area that I would like to explore further throughout my career.
Outside of psychology I enjoy competitive endeavors, such as sports and a variety of strategy, card, and video games. And I have a wonderful wife and life partner who is currently in Augusta, GA for a year-long internship which is the final stage in earning her clinical psychology Ph.D.