Mary Spiller

Dr Mary Spiller

Lecturer

Cognition and Neuroscience Research Group

Department of Psychological Sciences , School Of Psychology

Dr Mary Spiller is a Senior Lecturer at the University of East London. She is a cognitive psychologist who specialises in perception. Her PhD explored mental imagery in synaesthesia.

Qualifications

  • PhD, School of Psychology, University of East London (2009)
  • PG Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, UEL (2005)
  • BSc Psychology with Sociology, University of Bath, First Class (2002)

Areas Of Interest

  • Cognition
  • Perception
  • Multi-sensory perception
  • Synaesthesia
  • Mental imagery
Mary Spiller

OVERVIEW

Mary is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology. She is Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a member of the British Psychological Society (Cognitive Section), the Experimental Psychology Society and British Neuropsychological Society.

Mary contributes to cognitive psychology and research methods teaching on the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the School. She also supervises research students at all levels, including BSc, MSc, PhD and Professional Doctorates.

Mary is co-lead for the School’s Athena Swan Panel. Mary is a member of the Cognition and Neuroscience Research Group.. Mary was awarded her PhD from UEL in 2009, and previously has worked at both the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London and Harvard University.

Dr Mary Spiller : UEL Research Repository.

CURRENT RESEARCH

I am interested in how we perceive the world around us. My research expertise relates to the area of experimental cognitive psychology, especially in the areas of sensory experiences such as synaesthesia (cross-sensory experiences), mental imagery (internally generated sensory experiences) and multi-sensory experiences in the general population.

My research has focused on synaesthesia and mental imagery, and the impact of synaesthesia on other cognitive abilities. Recent work has focused on the impact synaesthesia may have on mental imagery abilities across various sensory modalities, as well as exploring multi-sensory processing in the general population.

Most recent research

PUBLICATIONS

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles

  • Spiller, M.J., Harkry, L., McCullagh, F., Thoma, V., Jonas, C. (2019) Exploring the relationship between grapheme colour-picking consistency and mental imagery. Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences, 374 (1787). https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0023
  • Jonas, C., Spiller, M.J., Hibbard, P. (2017) Summation of visual attributes in auditory-visual crossmodal correspondence. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 24, 1104-1112. doi: 10.3758/s13423-016-1215-2.
  • Asad, J., Spiller, M.J., Jonas, C. (2016) Auditory and Visual Crossmodal Correspondences With Haptically Perceived Liquid Viscosity, Multisensory Research, 29, 8, 727-747
  • Spiller, M.J., Jonas, C.N, Simner, J., Jansari, A. (2015) Beyond visual imagery: How modality-specific is enhanced mental imagery in synesthesia? Consciousness and Cognition, 31, 73-85
  • Jonas, C.N, Spiller, MJ., Jansari, A., Ward, J. (2014) Comparing implicit and synaesthetic number–space associations: visuospatial and verbal spatial–numerical associations of response codes, The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 67, 7, 1262-1273
  • Pasqualotto, A., Spiller, M.J, Jansari, A., Proulx, M.J. (2013) Visual experience facilitates allocentric spatial representation. Behavioural Brain Research, 236, 175-179
  • Banissy, M.J., Holle, H., Cassell, J., Annett, L., Tsakanikos, E., Walsh, V., Spiller, M.J., Ward, J. (2013) Personality traits in people with synaesthesia: Do synaesthetes have an atypical personality profile? Personality and Individual Differences 54, 7, 828-831
  • Simner, J., Mayo, N., Spiller, M.J. (2009) A foundation for savantism? Visuo-spatial synaesthetes present with cognitive benefits, Cortex, 45, 10, 1246-1260
  • Spiller, M.J., Jansari, A.S (2008) Mental imagery and synaesthesia: Is synaesthesia from internally-generated stimuli possible? Cognition, 109, 1, 143-151
  • Gratsa, A., Spiller, M.J., Holt, G., Joyce, T., Hardy, S., & Bouras, N. (2007). Developing a mental health guide for carers of people with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research inIntellectual Disabilities, 20, 77-86
  • Spiller, M.J., Costello, H., Bramley, A., Bouras N., Martin, G., Tsakanikos, E., et al. (2007). Consumption of mental health services by people with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 20, 430-438.
  • Jansari, A.S., Spiller, M.J., Redfern, S. (2006) Number synaesthesia: When hearing “four plus five” looks like gold. Cortex, 42, 2, 253-258
  • Mataix-Cols, D., Rahman, Q., Spiller, M.J., Alonso, M.P., Pifarre, J., Menchon, J.M., et al. (2006). Are there sex differences in neuropsychological functions among patients with obsessive- compulsive disorder? Applied Neuropsychology, 13(1), 42-50.
  • Beer, D., Spiller, M.J., Pickard, M., Gravestock, S., McGovern, P., Leese, M., et al. (2005). Low secure units: factors predicting delayed discharge. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, 16(4), 621-637.

Conference Papers

Invited Talks

  • Spiller, M.J. (2022) Exploring the colours of our mind: mental imagery and synaesthesia. Invited talk at Illusion of the Fortnight, The School of Psychology and Neuroscience & The Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience, Glasgow University
  • Spiller, M.J. (2018) The colours of our mind: exploring mental imagery and synaesthesia. Invited talk presented at Bridging Senses: New Developments in Synaesthesia Discussion Meeting, Royal Society, London Conference Papers and Posters
  • Spiller, M.J., Keshani, I., Hackner, L., McCullagh, F., Thoma, V., Jonas, C.N. (2017) Cognitive Correlates of Synesthesia: Exploring the Relationship between Grapheme-Color Synesthesia, Executive Functions, and Mental Imagery. Paper presented at 12th Annual National Conference of the American Synesthesia Association, Harvard University, MA, USA.
  • Spiller, M.J., Hefer, M., Brathwaite, D. (2017) Exploring the impact of fear, anxiety and empathy on visual spatial abilities. Poster presented at the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience Annual Scientific Meeting, Plymouth University
  • Spiller, M.J., Gonzalez, M., Eatman, J., Jonas, C.N. (2015) Exploring the relationship between letter shape and personality/gender in ordinal linguistic personality synaesthesia. Poster presented at the British Psychological Society Cognitive Section Conference, University of Kent
  • Jonas, C.N., Spiller, M.J., Hibbard, P. (2015) Auditory-visual crossmodal correspondences don’t add up. Paper presented at the British Psychological Society Cognitive Section Conference, University of Kent
  • Jonas, C.N., Spiller, M.J., (2013) Synaesthesia and the SNARC effect. Poster presented at Interactions Between Space, Time and Number: 20 Years of Research Conference, College de France, Paris.
  • Spiller, M.J. (2012) Exploring synaesthetes' mental imagery abilities across multiple sensory modalities. Paper presented as part of Synaesthesia Symposium at the 13th International Multisensory Research Forum, Oxford University.
  • Spiller, M.J., Jonas, C, Simner, J, Jansari, A. (2012) Exploring synaesthetes' mental imagery abilities across multiple sensory modalities. Paper presented at the 7th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the UK Synaesthesia Association, Merton College.
  • Asghar, A., Spiller, M.J., McGlashan, T., Pironti, V., Petty, S., Green, G., Woods, W., Nevado, A., Simpson, M., Pulgarin, M., Simner, J., Jansari, A. (2010) Neuronal activity in response to hearing words: a magnetoencephalography (MEG) study of grapheme-colour synaesthesia. Paper presented at 8th Annual National Conference of the American Synesthesia Association, Vanderbilt University, TN, USA.
  • Spiller, M.J. (2010) Synaesthesia in the blind: adapting the mathematical Stroop paradigm to measure visual synaesthesia in the blind. Paper presented at the 5th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the UK Synaesthesia Association, University of Sussex.
  • Spiller, M.J., & Jansari, A.S. (2008). Synaesthesia and mental imagery abilities: a comparison of synaesthetes' and non-synaesthetes' mental imagery abilities. Paper presented at the 4th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the UK Synaesthesia Association, University of Edinburgh.
  • Spiller, M.J., & Jansari, A.S. (2008). Synaesthesia and visual mental imagery: measuring a synaesthetic experience from different imagery tasks. Paper presented at the Experimental Psychology Society Cambridge Meeting, Cambridge University.
  • Spiller, M.J., & Jansari, A.S. (2007). The effect of colour on visual mental imagery abilities of grapheme-colour synaesthetes: the importance of individual differences. Paper presented at the 3rd Annual General Meeting and Conference of the UK Synaesthesia Association, Oxford University.
  • Spiller, M.J., Jansari, A.S., & Burton, A. (2007). Synaesthesia and visual mental imagery: measuring a synaesthetic experience from different mental imagery abilities. Paper presented at the British Psychological Society Cognitive Section Annual Conference, University of Aberdeen.
  • Spiller, M.J., Jansari, A.S., & Jones Chesters, M. (2006). Mental rotation and alphanumeric colour synaesthesia. Paper presented at the 2nd Annual General Meeting and Conference of the UK Synaesthesia Association, University College London.
  • Spiller, M.J., & Jansari, A.S. (2005). Fading into the background: mental imagery in synaesthesia. Paper presented at the 5th Annual Meeting of the American Synesthesia Association, Houston, Texas.
  • Spiller, M.J., & Jansari, A.S. (2005). Mental imagery and synaesthesia. Paper presented at the Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference on Perceptual Experience, University of Glasgow.
  • Spiller, M.J., & Jansari, A.S. (2005). Mental imagery in synaesthesia: does seeing the mental image of an inducer in the mind's eye result in a synaesthetic experience? Paper presented at the 1st Annual General Meeting and Conference of the UK Synaesthesia Association, University College London.
  • Spiller, M.J., Jansari, A.S., & Jones Chesters, M. (2006). Mental rotation and alphanumeric colour synaesthesia. Paper presented at the 2nd Annual General Meeting and Conference of the UK Synaesthesia Association, University College London.

Book Chapters

  • Spiller, M.J., & Jansari, A.S. (2013). Synaesthesia and savantism. In E. Hubbard & J. Simner (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Synaesthesia. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Holt, G., Gratsa, A., Bouras, N., Joyce, T., Spiller, M.J., & Hardy, S. (2004). Guide to mental health for families and carers of people with intellectual disabilities. London: Jessica Kingsley Publications.

TEACHING

MSc Psychology

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BSc (Hons) Psychology

Studying for a BSc in Psychology, you will develop a good knowledge of the influences on, and factors involved in, human functioning in all the core areas of psychology.

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EXTERNAL ROLES

  • External Examiner at BPP University for MSc Psychology modules

Publications

The last four years of publications can be viewed below. 

Full publications list

Visit the research repository to view a full list of publications

Research repository