Psychology

Dr Margaret McGonigle

Photograph of Dr Margaret McGonigle
Position
Honorary Fellow
Email
M.McGonigle@ed.ac.uk
Phone
0131 650 6977
Location
2.14 (DSB)
Research Interests
Developmental cognition, executive functioning in childhood autism and Fragile X syndrome, cognitive neuroscience.
Biography

Representative Publications

  1. McGonigle-Chalmers, M., Alderson-Day, B., Fleming,J. and Monsen, K. (2013) Investigating profound expressive language impairment in children with autism using a novel computer-based intervention. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 43, 9, 2062-2081
  2. McGonigle-Chalmers, M and Alderson-Day, B (2010) Free classification as a window on executive functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 7, 844-857
  3. McGonigle-Chalmers, M, Bodner, K., Fox-Pitt, A, and Nicholson, L. A. (2008). Size sequencing as a window on executive functioning in children with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 7, 1382-1390
  4. McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (2006). Ordering and executive functioning as a window on the growth and development of cognitive systems. International Journal of Comparative Psychology. Special issue on Development, Evolution and Comparative Psychology, 19, 241-267
  5. McGonigle, B., Chalmers, M., and Dickinson, A. (2003). Nine item classification and seriation in cyber-space by Cebus apella. Animal Cognition, 6, 185-197
  6. McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (2003). A behavior based fractionation of cognitive competence with clinical applications: A comparative approach. International Journal of Comparative Psychology, Special issue on Comparative Psychology and the Applied Challenge, 15, 154-173
  7. McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (2002). Cognitive learning in monkey and man. S. Fountain, M.Bunsey, J.Danks, and M.McBeath. Animal Cognition and Sequential Behavior: Behavioural, Biological and Computational Perspectives Kluwer Academic Press, Boston. 269-314. ISBN 0-79-237590-4. (Specially invited symposium contribution limited to 12 international participants.)
  8. McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (2001). Spatial representation as cause and effect: Circular causality comes to cognition. M. Gattis, Spatial Schemas and Abstract Thought MIT Press, London. 247-277. ISBN 0-26-207213-0. (Specially invited symposium contribution limited to 12 international participants.)

Career and affiliations

  • 1977 - 79 Research Fellow SSRC Grant HR 52771 'The Development of Configurative Perception by Children'; Principal investigator: Dr. B.O. McGonigle, Psychology Department, Edinburgh University.
  • 1979 - 81 Research Fellow SSRC Grant HR 6904 'Memorial Representation by Children: The Relative Impact of Pictorial and Lexical Input Modes'; Principal investigator: Dr. B.O. McGonigle, Psychology Department, Edinburgh University.
  • 1981 - 82 Research Consultant on BBC Video Project: Visions of Childhood. BBC Scotland, Queen Margaret Drive, Glasgow.
  • 1983 - 87 Research Fellow MRC Grant 'A Comparative Investigation into the Genesis of Logico-mathematical Understanding'; Principal investigator: Dr. B.O. McGonigle, Psychology Department, Edinburgh University.
  • 1990 - 93 Research Fellow ESRC Grant 'An Experimental Analysis of Ordering Skills in Children'; Principal investigator: Dr. B.O. McGonigle, Psychology Department, Edinburgh University.
  • 1994 - 95 Temporary Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology. Psychology Department, Edinburgh University.
  • 1996 - present Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in Developmental Cognition. Psychology Department, Edinburgh University.

Research

My research has previously been carried out in the Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience (Centre for Neuroscience) directed by Dr. Brendan McGonigle. Supporting a comparative and developmental approach to the study of higher intelligence which has pioneered and developed non-verbal assessment techniques for use with both human and non-human primates alike, the research has attracted international attention (see invited symposia/book contributions listed below). Although I have worked with monkeys (especially with Saimiri scuireus), my main role has been to pursue the human developmental side of our comparative agenda with children between 3 and 9 years of age. In particular, I have helped to develop paradigms which vary the linguistic level of instruction to the subject in order to help identify which (if any) of the key competences tapped by our tasks require a specifically linguistic explanation. I was a co-collaborator with Dr. McGonigle on a renewed NATO grant which funded exchanges for paradigm development between our lab and that of Professor Herb Terrace and his group at Columbia University, New York (1997-1999).

Sample recent publications arising from this research are:

  • McGonigle, Brendan; Chalmers, Margaret (2006) Ordering and executive functioning as a window on the evolution and development of cognitive systems. International Journal of Comparative Psychology. Vol 19 (2) 241-267.
  • McGonigle, B., Chalmers, M., and Dickinson, A. (2003) Concurrent disjoint and reciprocal classification by Cebus apella in seriation tasks: Evidence for hierarchical organization. Animal Cognition, 6, 185-197.
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (2002). Cognitive learning in monkey and man. Specially invited symposium contribution in Animal Cognition and Sequential Behavior (eds. S. Fountain, M.Bunsey, J.Danks, and M.McBeath, Kluwer Academic Press, Boston) pp 269-314.
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (2002). Spatial representation as cause and effect: Circular causality comes to cognition. Specially invited symposium contribution in Spatial schemas and abstract thought (ed. Gattis M, MIT Press, London) pp 247-277.

Since 1996, I have begun to exploit the properties of our paradigms designed to study sequential learning, namely that they are learning-based, non-verbal, and supported by highly motivating touch screen 'games' - to assess the nature of cognitive deficit in Fragile X Syndrome and, more recently, childhood autism. Now carried out in my own Human Cognitive Development Lab (supporting 8 undergraduate projects per year, and post-graduate projects at MSc and PhD level, the work on autism is recognized as tackling an "important and under-researched aspects of autism", namely cognitive functioning in children diagnosed as 'low-functioning'. Publications arising from this are:

  • McGonigle-Chalmers, M and Alderson-Day, B (2010) Free classification as a window on executive functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 7, 844-857
  • McGonigle-Chalmers, M., Bodner, K., Fox-Pitt, A. and Nicholson, L. (2008) Size sequencing as a window on executive control in children with autism and Asperger syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38 (7), 1382-1390.
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (2002) A behavior based fractionation of cognitive competence with clinical applications: A comparative approach. International Journal of Comparative Psychology (Special issue), 15, 154-173.

Currently (and supported by three recent small project grants from the British Academy), I am using the sequential learning techniques developed in our lab to enable nonverbal children with autism to make sentence-like productions on a touch screen - the 'Eventaurs' project.

Publications

  • Maggie McGonigle Chalmers (2015) Understanding Cognitive Development. SAGE Publications. ISBN 978-1-4129-2880-9
  • Bardikoff, N. and McGonigle-Chalmers, M. (2014). Testing nonverbal IQ in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 8, 9, 1200-1207
  • Miller, L. and McGonigle-Chalmers, M. (2014). Exploring perceptual skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: From target detection to dynamic perceptual discrimination. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44, 1144-1157
  • McGonigle-Chalmers, M., Slater, H. & Smith (2014). Rethinking Private Speech in preschoolers: The effects of social presence. Developmental Psychology, 50, 3, 829-836
  • McGonigle-Chalmers, M., Alderson-Day, B., Fleming,J. and Monsen, K. (2013) Investigating profound expressive language impairment in children with autism using a novel computer-based intervention. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 43, 9, 2062-2081
  • McGonigle-Chalmers, M and McSweeney, M. (2013) The role of timing in testing nonverbal IQ in children with with ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43, 1, 80-90
  • McGonigle-Chalmers, M. and Kusel, I. (2012) The emergence of linear sequencing children: A continuity account and a formal model. In: McFarland, D., Stenning, K. and McGonigle-Chalmers, M. (Eds)The Complex Mind: An Inter-disciplinary Approach, Palgrave-MacMillan
  • McFarland, D., Stenning, K. and McGonigle-Chalmers, M. (2012). The Complex Mind: An Inter-disciplinary Approach, Palgrave-MacMillan
  • Hodgson, E. and McGonigle-Chalmers, M. (2011) Partial occlusion depiction and its relationship with Field Independence in children with ASD. Autism, 15, 473-495
  • Alderson-Day, B. and McGonigle-Chalmers, M. (2010) Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Category use in problem solving in children with autistic spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 41,5, 555-565
  • McGonigle-Chalmers, M and Alderson-Day, B (2010) Free classification as a window on executive functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 7, 844-857
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (2009) Insight and relational learning in non-humans. Encyclopedia of Applied Animal Behaviour (ed. D. Mills)
  • McGonigle, Brendan; Chalmers, Margaret. (2008) Putting Descartes before the horse (again!). Behavioral and Brain Sciences. Vol 31(2), 142-143
  • McGonigle-Chalmers, M., Bodner, K., Fox-Pitt, A. and Nicholson, L. (2008) Size sequencing as a window on executive control in children with autism and Asperger syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38 (7), 1382-1390
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (2006) Executive functioning as a window on the evolution and development of cognitive systems. International Journal of Comparative Psychology (special issue on comparative, developmental and evolutionary psychology), 19 (2) 241 - 267
  • McGonigle, B., Chalmers, M., and Dickinson, A. (2003) Concurrent disjoint and reciprocal classification by Cebus apella in seriation tasks: Evidence for hierarchical organization. Animal Cognition, 6, 185-197
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (2002) A behavior based fractionation of cognitive competence with clinical applications: A comparative approach. International Journal of Comparative Psychology (Special issue on clinical applications of comparative research), 15, 154-173
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (2002). Cognitive learning in monkey and man. Specially invited symposium contribution in Animal Cognition and Sequential Behavior (eds. S. Fountain, M.Bunsey, J.Danks, and M.McBeath, Kluwer Academic Press, Boston) pp 269-314
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (2002). Spatial representation as cause and effect: Circular causality comes to cognition. Specially invited symposium contribution in Spatial schemas and abstract thought (ed. Gattis M, MIT Press, London) pp 247-277
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (1998). Rationality as optimised cognitive self-regulation. In Rational Models of Cognition (eds. M. Oaksford and N. Chater, Oxford University Press)
  • Chalmers and McGonigle (1998). On the psychological reality of parallel relational architectures: whose knowledge system is it anyway? Commentary on Halford, G.S., Wilson, W.H., and Phillips, S. Processing capacity defined by relational complexity: Implications for comparative, developmental and cognitive psychology. Behavior and Brain Sciences, 21, (6), 833-834
  • Chalmers, M. and McGonigle, B. (1997). Capturing dynamic structuralism in the laboratory. Specially invited symposium contribution in Piaget, Vygotsky and Beyond (ed. L. Smith, J. Dockrell and P. Tomlinson, Routledge, London) pp 183-200
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (1996). The ontology of order. In Critical Readings on Piaget (ed. L. Smith, Routledge, London)
  • Chalmers, M. and McGonigle, B. (1992). Are children any more logical than monkeys? - In Jean Piaget: Critical Assessments (Vol. II), (ed. L. Smith, Routledge, London)
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (1986). Representations and strategies during inference. In Reasoning and Discourse Processes, (eds. T.F. Myers, E.K. Brown and B.O. McGonigle) Academic Press, London
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (1984). The selective effect of question form and input mode on the 'Symbolic Distance Effect': some implications for logical development. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 37, 525-554
  • Chalmers, M. and McGonigle, B. (1984). Are children any more logical than monkeys on the five term series problem? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 37, 355-377
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (1982). Strategies for inference taking in child and monkey. International Journal of Primatology, 3 (3)
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (1980). The selective impact of verbally communicated criteria in orientation judgments by young children. Perception, 9, 345-351
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (1980). On the genesis of relational terms: a comparative study of monkeys and human children. Antropologia Contemporanea, 3, 236
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (1979). Internal psychophysics in the child. Neuroscience Letters, 3, 60
  • Chalmers, M and McGonigle, B. (1979). Contextual and task effects on children's information processing. Neuroscience Letters, 3, 58
  • McGonigle, B. and Chalmers, M. (1977). Are monkeys logical? Nature, 267, 694-697 (featured in London Times, and also Science News, USA, July, 1977)

Teaching

Maggie's teaching has covered all undergraduate years with a focus on Developmental Cognition. Specialist Honours level courses have included 'Language and thought' (from a comparative and developmental perspective) and 'Childhood autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders'.

Video

The first movie clip illustrates the Eventaurs (1) programme at different training levels (you may have to wait for a minute or so). At the two-item level you will see a nonverbal child with autism touch a noun (monkey) followed by a verb (fly), and then 'monkey' followed by 'jump'. Correct sequences are followed by animations depicting the event. At the three word level, you will see another nonverbal child with autism produce correct sequences for the events 'monkey spin pirate' and 'lamp kiss wizard'. Finally, you will see the same child produce the four word sequence 'pirate dance with monkey' and then 'wizard dance with monkey'.

Supported by a British Academy grant, Eventaurs (2) is now being developed, which introduces pre-recorded voice prompts and voiced feedback similar to some speech augmentation devices. The crucial aspect of the Eventaurs programme is that it is geared to eliciting sentence-like productions that are descriptive/declarative rather than requests. In this way, we hope that children with autism who have never learned to make multi-word productions in speech or sign will be enabled to discover for themselves the power of language.

Programming by Graham Sortino
Animations by Stephen Elphick
Testing by Frances Brown and Fiona Jeffries

The second movie clip illustrates the Eventaurs (2) programme at different levels. Here there are verbal prompts from the computer and verbal feedback following each touch, naming the word/icon being selected. At some levels the instructions are non-specific with repect to actor/agent roles (e.g. can you make them kiss?); at other levels, the roles are explicit in the instruction (e.g. can you make the monkey fly on the robot?). This clip illustrates a nonverbal child with autism completing every level of the game.

Programming by Karl Monsen
Testing by Joanna Fleming and Ben Alderson-Day

Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae