Alan S. Brown
Professor of Psychology
Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1974

TEL 214.768.3420
EMAIL abrown (add @smu.edu to all email addresses)
OFFICE 310B Hyer Hall
CURRICULUM VITAE click to view

My research primarily involves the processes that we use to store and retrieve information about the real world, and the manner in which these processes fail us. Two of these phenomena that have been a central focus include the tip of the tongue experience, where one is momentarily stymied in accessing well-stored knowledge, and the déjà vu experience, which is a false positive recognition about present experiences. We are currently extending the TOT research to identify the factors underlying the age-related increase and what can be done to ameliorate this.

Another recent line of research involves the poor retention of health-related information, and what concepts from basic research in cognition can be applied to improve how we remember and apply such information to our daily lives. Finally, we looking at ways to improve the measurement accuracy of self reports on relationship violence.

Brown, A. S., & Marsh, E. J.  (2008).  Evoking false beliefs about autobiographical experience.  Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 15, 186-190.

Gollan, T. H., & Brown, A. S.  (2006). From tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) data to theoreticalimplications:  When more TOTs means better retrieval.  Journal of Experimental Psychology:  General, 135, 462-483.

Jouriles, E. N.,  McDonald, R., Garrido, E., Rosenfield, D., & Brown, A. S.  (2005). Assessing physical violence in adolescent romantic relationships:  Can we do it better?  Psychological Assessment, 17, 469-475.

Brown, A. S. (2004).  The déjà vu illusion.  Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13, 256-259.

Brown, A. S.  (2004).  The déjà vu experience.  New York:  Psychology Press.

Brown, A. S., & Nix, L. A. (1996).  Age differences in the tip-of-the-tongue experience. American Journal of Psychology, 109, 79-91.

Brown, A. S. (1991).  A review of the tip of the tongue experience.  Psychological Bulletin, 109, 204-223.