Psychology Graduate Students

Daniel Jefferson Pfaff
  • Pronouns he/him
  • Title
    • Graduate Student
  • Division Social Sciences Division
  • Department
    • Psychology Department
  • Email
  • Website
  • Office Location
    • Social Sciences 2, 117
  • Mail Stop Psychology Faculty Services

Research Interests

Daniel’s overall research interest is understanding the changes in neural processing during second language acquisition. Merging his backgrounds in linguistics and biochemistry, Daniel bridges two distinct fields connected to language science. He is hoping to provide a better understanding of how second language acquisition occurs, leading to better tools of second language acquisition, and expanding access to language resources.

 

Currently, Daniel is investigating the co-registration of eye-tracking (ET) and electroencephalography (EEG) and how these two techniques can provide a complementary understanding of language processing. Daniel is investigating how the N400 component, often associated with semantic information processing, varies according to cognitive effort, measured via pupillometry while listening to an audio with codeswitches.

Biography, Education and Training

 

Daniel joined the IntERPrET lab in 2022 after graduating from the University of Oklahoma with bachelor’s degrees in linguistics and biochemistry. Outside of the lab, Daniel enjoys traveling, learning languages, and ultimate frisbee. He is a proud Kansas Citian (specifically the Missouri side), and his hometown has given him an appreciation of hospitality, friendliness, and, most importantly, barbeque. 

 

Daniel is an active member of the UCSC Out in STEM (oSTEM) chapter, and is committed to providing mentorship and resources for LGBTQ+ scientists.