Daniel McConnell

Daniel McConnell is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Central Florida (UCF), part of the College of Sciences. He holds a PhD in Sensory Psychology from Indiana University and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania’s GRASP Lab. His research focuses on perception-action systems, human factors, and applied cognitive science, with emphasis on virtual reality, motor control, and human-robot interaction. He has extensive experience in teaching undergraduate courses and has contributed to studies on usability design, cognitive workload, and technology-mediated social presence.

Education: PhD in Sensory Psychology (Indiana University, 1999); Postdoctoral training in Cognitive Science (University of Pennsylvania).

Research Interests: McConnell’s work bridges basic psychological principles with applied human factors challenges. Key areas include perception-action calibration, virtual reality interaction design, social presence in human-robot systems, and cognitive fatigue models. His recent studies explore embodiment theory, usability of medical technologies, and ergonomic aspects of human-computer interfaces.

Publications Trends: Recent work (2020–2024) emphasizes applied human factors in healthcare technologies (e.g., at-home medical devices), social robotics, and cognitive models of resource allocation. Earlier contributions (2010s) focused on motor control, Fitts’ law applications, and spatial perception.

Lab & Collaborations: His research integrates insights from cognitive psychology and engineering to improve real-world system designs, particularly in VR interfaces, assistive technologies, and human-machine collaboration scenarios.