About
Maximilian Rabe is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Experimental and Biological Psychology at the Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Potsdam, with a secondary affiliation at the University of Copenhagen. Currently on parental leave until September 22, 2025, he maintains active research involvement in computational cognitive science, with particular focus on eye-movement dynamics during reading processes and psycholinguistic modeling. His dual institutional appointments reflect his interdisciplinary research bridging German and Danish academic communities.
Dr. Rabe completed his academic training with a B.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Potsdam (2016), followed by an M.Sc. in Psychology - Cognition and Brain Science from the University of Victoria, Canada (2018), and earned his Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from the University of Potsdam in 2024 under the supervision of Ralf Engbert and Shravan Vasishth.
His research program centers on computational and statistical modeling of cognitive processes, with specific expertise in eye-movement control, psycholinguistics, and memory systems. Dr. Rabe develops integrated cognitive architectures that simulate how humans process language and allocate visual attention during reading. His methodological approach combines experimental psychology with advanced Bayesian statistics and dynamical systems theory to create predictive models of cognitive behavior.
Analysis of his publication trajectory reveals a consistent focus on developing sophisticated computational frameworks for understanding reading processes, with increasing emphasis on integrated models that couple syntactic processing with eye-movement control. A distinctive feature of his work is the development of specialized methodological tools, particularly R packages that advance research practices in cognitive science. His publications span high-impact journals in psychology, cognitive science, and methodology, demonstrating strong interdisciplinary reach.
Dr. Rabe is actively involved in multiple research projects funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), including Project B03 of Collaborative Research Center 1287 on eye-movement control and parsing processes, and Project B03 of CRC 1294 on parameter inference in dynamical cognitive models. His work at the University of Copenhagen investigating visual attention in virtual reality environments receives support from Villum Fonden.
As a methodological innovator, Dr. Rabe has developed and maintains several important R packages including hypr for hypothesis-driven contrast coding, designr for experimental design, appRiori for Bayesian analysis, and RStanTVA for visual attention modeling. His commitment to open science practices is evident in his software development and preprint sharing.
Working within Ralf Engbert's research group at the University of Potsdam, Dr. Rabe contributes to a vibrant interdisciplinary environment that combines experimental psychology, computational modeling, and advanced statistical methods. His research has implications for understanding fundamental cognitive processes and developing more accurate models of human information processing during language comprehension.
