Carrick C. Williams

Carrick C. Williams is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), affiliated with the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral, and Social Sciences (CHABSS). He joined CSUSM in 2014 after completing postdoctoral training at the University of Massachusetts (2003–2005) following his Ph.D. in Psychology from Michigan State University (2003).

His research focuses on cognitive processes including visual search, visual memory, eye movement control, and face memory. Notable applied work includes studies on driving behavior in older adults, hurricane storm surge warning communication, and police car visibility. He teaches courses like Advanced Research Methods (PSYC 530) and History of Psychology (PSYC 490).

Research interests emphasize understanding how vision, memory, and attention interact. Key areas include target/distractor memory encoding, eye movement patterns during complex tasks, and age-related differences in visual processing. Applied projects explore real-world applications like driver distraction and disaster communication effectiveness.

Publications span topics from visual search strategies to face recognition, demonstrating interdisciplinary contributions to cognitive psychology. He actively engages in laboratory research and supervises independent student projects.