Dr. Simone Malejka

Education

2017	Doctorate in Psychology (equivalent to Ph.D., University of Mannheim)
2011	Diploma in Psychology (equivalent to M.Sc., University of Mannheim)

Academic positions

2020–present	Postdoctoral research associate (University of Cologne)
2018–2020	Postdoctoral research associate (University College London)
2011–2018	Graduate research assistant (University of Mannheim)

Research interests

My research investigates how latent cognitive processes contribute to observable behaviors. Most of my research falls within the area of human learning, memory, and consciousness (e.g., implicit/unconscious learning, testing effects, recognition and source memory, eyewitness memory). I approach these topics with a combination of behavioral experiments and mathematical models (e.g., signal-detection theory, multinomial processing-tree models, Bayesian hierarchical models, global memory models). A particular focus lies on controlling for measurement error.

Publications

Vadillo, M. A., Malejka, S., & Shanks, D. R. (2024). Mapping the reliability multiverse of contextual cuing. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0001410

Malejka, S., Heck, D. W., & Erdfelder, E. (2022). Recognition-memory models and ranking tasks: The importance of auxiliary assumptions for tests of the two-high-threshold model. Journal of Memory & Language, 127, 104356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2022.104356

Vadillo, M. A., Malejka, S., Yu, D. Y. H., Dienes, Z., & Shanks, D. R. (2022). Raising awareness about measurement error in research on unconscious mental processes. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 29, 21-43. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-021-01923-y

Malejka, S., Vadillo, M. A., Dienes, Z., & Shanks, D. R. (2021). Correlation analysis to investigate unconscious mental processes: A critical appraisal and mini-tutorial. Cognition, 212, 104667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104667

Shanks, D. R., Malejka, S., & Vadillo, M. A. (2021). The challenge of inferring unconscious mental processes. Experimental Psychology, 68(3), 113-129. https://doi.org/10.1027/1618-3169/a000517

Malejka, S., & Bröder, A. (2019). Exploring the shape of signal-detection distributions in individual recognition ROC data. Journal of Memory and Language, 104, 83-107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2018.09.001

Starns, J. J., Cataldo, A. M., Rotello, C. M., …, Malejka, S., …, Wilson, J. (2019). Assessing theoretical conclusions with blinded inference to investigate a potential inference crisis. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 2(4), 335-349. https://doi.org/10.1177/2515245919869583

Bröder, A., & Malejka, S. (2017). On a problematic procedure to manipulate response biases in recognition experiments: The case of “implied” base rates. Memory, 25(6), 736-743. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2016.1214735

Malejka, S., & Bröder, A. (2016). No source memory for unrecognized items when implicit feedback is avoided. Memory & Cognition, 44(1), 63-72. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-015-0549-8

Conference proceedings

Malejka, S., Barth, M., Haider, H., & Stahl, C. (2022). Abstracts of the 64th Conference of Experimental Psychologists (TeaP). Pabst Science Publishers.

Awards

2024	Teaching Award of the psychology student association at the University of Cologne
2023	Teaching Award of the psychology student association at the University of Cologne
2022	Teaching Award of the psychology student association at the University of Cologne
2019	Best Ph.D. Thesis Award of the Cognitive Section of the German Society for Psychology

Teaching

Research methods and psychological evaluation (meta-analysis), Statistics 1 & 2 (including R tutorial), Introduction to Bayesian statistics using JASP, Data analysis using SPSS, Milestones of memory psychology, Advanced cognitive psychology (memory models), Empirical research skills (source memory, testing effect), Diagnostic assessment and psychological testing

Student supervision

I supervise B.Sc. theses, M.Sc. theses, and research internships on topics related to learning and memory, forensic psychology, human consciousness, and statistical modeling of cognitive processes. If you are interested, please send me an email.

Current and past student projects (selection)

On the influence of tests on memory for contextual details
An empirical validation of a multinomial model for the testing effect
The testing effect in short-term retention—Fact or artifact?
Easy versus difficult tests: Does test format moderate the testing effect in short-term retention?
Spurious dissociations: Unreliability of measures of implicit and explicit learning
Can we recollect an item without remembering the item?
Is there source memory for unrecognized items in a new paradigm?
No source memory without item memory despite higher participant motivation
Feedback salience explains apparent source memory for unrecognized items