Visual Cognition and Modeling Lab (VCM lab)
Research Field
Prof. Cheng-Ta Yang is a distinguished professor at the Department of Psychology and serves as the director of the Research Centre for Humanities and Social Sciences at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). His research spans cognitive neuroscience, visual cognition, and mathematical psychology, with notable contributions to computational and mathematical modeling, visual attention, memory, and decision making. As a Fellow of the Psychonomic Society, Prof. Yang's work is recognized internationally. His global collaborations and prolific publications underscore his impact, while his dedication to mentorship and research solidifies his esteemed reputation both in Taiwan and worldwide.
Our lab emphasizes mathematical modeling in behavioral research, especially in visual and cognitive areas like attention, memory, and decision-making. We explore contemporary topics, such as resilience, deep-fake detection, and the cognitive benefits of immersive experiences. Our work also extends to mental health improvement through exercise interventions, employing tools like EEG, neuromodulations, biofeedback, eye-tracking, and VR. With a multidisciplinary team and advanced equipment, interns gain experimental programming, VR development, and data analysis skills, fostering a dynamic, English-friendly environment ideal for international students.
1. Visual AttentionVisual Memory
2. Decision Making
3. Computational and Mathematical Modeling
4. Neuroscience
5. Eye Tracking
6. EEG/ERP
7. Psychological Resilience
8. Virtual Reality
- 2024 Research Project Award at Taipei Medical University (臺北醫學大學112學年大型研究計畫獎)
- 2023 Outstanding Award for Interdisciplinary Research (112年度永續跨領域整合型計畫，北美國立成功大學校友基金會跨領域研究獎勵傑出獎)
- 2023 Teaching Project Award at Taipei Medical University (臺北醫學大學111學年教學計畫獎)
- 2023 Research Project Award at Taipei Medical University (臺北醫學大學111學年大型研究計畫獎)
- 2023 Best Paper Award of MIMSVAI 2023
- 2023 Research Award in Sport Sciences, Ministry of Education (教育部體育署112 年度運動科學研究發展佳作獎勵)
- 2022 Teaching Project Award at Taipei Medical University (臺北醫學大學110學年教學計畫獎)
- 2022 Research Award in Sport Sciences, Ministry of Education (教育部體育署111年度運動科學研究發展佳作獎勵)
- 2022 Distinguished Professor, Taipei Medical University (臺北醫學大學特聘教授)
- 2022 Outstanding Scholar Awards, Foundation for the advancement of outstanding scholarship (傑出人才基金會年輕學者創新獎)
- 2022 Outstanding Research Awards, The Ministry of Science and Technology (科技部110年度傑出研究獎)
- 2021 Research Award in Sport Sciences, Ministry of Education (教育部體育署110年度運動科學研究發展佳作獎勵)
- 2020 Highway and Public Transportation Planning Competition (帶領學生團隊參加2020年公路公共運輸規劃競賽，榮獲社會組第二名，並獲得獎金15萬元)
- 2020 Teaching Excellence Award for "Participation in University Innovation and University Social Responsibility Excellence Teachers “National Cheng Kung University (國立成功大學參與大學創新與大學社會責任特優教師之教學優良獎)
- 2020 2020 Taipei Municipal Min Quan Elementary School Distinguished Alumni (2020台北市民權國小傑出校友)
- 2020 「心世界」作品榮獲成大新創週「明日之星之舉世矚目獎」，獲得獎金1萬元
- 2020 Teaching Excellence Award for General Education National Cheng Kung University (108學年度國立成功大學通識課程優良教師)
- 2020 2020 R. Duncan Luce Outstanding Paper Award, The Society for Mathematical Psychology. (數學心理學期刊最佳論文獎)：‘Yang, C.-T., Hsieh, S., Hsieh, C.-J., Fific, M., Yu, Y.-T., & Wang, C.-H. (2019) An examination of age-related differences in attentional control by systems factorial technology. Journal of Mathematical Psychology. 92:102280’
- 2020 Distinguished Professor, National Cheng Kung University (國立成功大學 特聘教授)
- 2019 Teaching Excellence Award for "Participation in University Innovation and University Social Responsibility Excellence Teachers" National Cheng Kung University (國立成功大學參與大學創新與大學社會責任特優教師之教學優良獎)
- 2019 Research Award in Sport Sciences, Ministry of Education (教育部體育署108年度運動科學研究發展甲等獎勵)
- 2018 Best Paper Award, Chinese Journal of Psychology.
- 2017 K. T. Li Researcher Award National Cheng Kung University (國立成功大學「李國鼎研究獎」)
- 2017 Fellow of the Psychonomic Society. （美國認知心理學會會士）
- 2016 Academia Sinica Research Award for Junior Research Investigators (Humanity and Social Sciences), Taiwan.
- 2015 Young Researcher Innovative Research Award from Taiwan Comprehensive University, Taiwan.
- 2015 The Outstanding Young Persons (Science and Technology Research Development category), Junior Chamber International (JCI), Taiwan.
- 2013 Ta-You Wu Memorial Award in humanity and Social Science from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan.
2009, PhD, Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University
Job Description
Interns will assist in one or more of the following research topics:
- Decision-making related to mental health, e.g., cognitive resilience, schizophrenia patients, and so on
- Cognitive performance under group decision-making
- Deepfake detection
- VR in cognitive training and Education
- The mechanisms underlying social cognitive deficits in schizophrenia
Responsibilities:
- Assist in the design and testing of the program relevant to the experiment
- Assist in collecting, organizing, and managing the collected data.
- Analyze large datasets to derive meaningful insights.
- attend lab activities (e.g., campus tours, exhibitions)
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate solutions into research projects
Preferred Intern Education Level
Currently pursuing or recently completed a bachelor's/master's degree in psychology, computer science, mathematics, statistics, neuroscience, radiology, or a related field.
Skill sets or Qualities
- Interest in mathematical modeling, decision-making, visual attention and memory, and mental health intervention studies.
- Prior experience with experimental design, programming (Python, MATLAB, Unity), or statistical analysis (R, SPSS) is advantageous
- Strong communication skills and willingness to work in an interdisciplinary, English-speaking environment