Madeleine Stepper

Madeleine Stepper is a Researcher at the University of Tübingen's Faculty of Science, Department of Psychology, specializing in the Evolutionary Cognition Research Group under Prof. Dr. Bettina Rolke. She has been a scientific staff member since completing her Ph.D. in Cognitive Science at the same institution.

Her academic background includes:

• B.Sc. in Cognitive Science (2011-2014) from University of Tübingen
• M.Sc. in Cognitive Science (2014-2016) from University of Tübingen
• Research Internship at University of Aberdeen's School of Psychology (2018)

Stepper's research centers on visual perception mechanisms, particularly object correspondence processes, attentional systems, and motion perception. Her experimental work investigates how visual working memory, spatial attention, and feature-based attention interact to resolve perceptual ambiguities in dynamic visual scenes. She employs rigorous psychophysical methodologies to dissect cognitive processes underlying human vision, with emphasis on how object history, size illusions, and voluntary attention modulate perceptual organization.

Analysis of her 2016-2021 publications reveals a cohesive research trajectory focused on experimental cognitive psychology. Her work consistently bridges theoretical frameworks in visual cognition with empirical testing, demonstrating expertise in Ternus display paradigms, attentional modulation experiments, and motion perception studies. The publications show progressive methodological sophistication while maintaining core focus on object correspondence mechanisms.

No scientific awards were documented in the source materials.

Stepper contributes to academic training through practical seminars in Experimental Psychology and Experimental Cognitive Science for bachelor students. Her involvement in the DFG-funded project "Mechanisms of object-based correspondence" during her Ph.D. demonstrates participation in competitively awarded research funding. She regularly presents findings at major vision science conferences including ECVP, VSS, and TeaP.

She operates within the Evolutionary Cognition Research Group, which investigates cognitive processes through interdisciplinary approaches combining experimental psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary perspectives. The group maintains active collaborations across European institutions as evidenced by her Aberdeen internship and co-authorships with international researchers.