Dr Anna Franklin

Senior Lecturer
BSc (Nottingham), PhD (Surrey)

Surrey Baby Lab: http://www.surrey.ac.uk/babylab
Associate Editor, Infant and Child Development

Research Interests

The primary purpose of my research is to understand the development of colour perception and cognition.  I set up the Surrey Baby Lab (www.surrey.ac.uk/babylab) during my PhD to investigate whether infants can categorise colour. Since then the lab has explored other aspects of colour perception and cognition in infancy and childhood.  The research uses techniques such as preferential looking, novelty preference, eye-tracking and EEG.  Current research is also exploring the development of colour perception in Autism Spectrum Disorders using experimental and psychophysical techniques.

Main Research Findings

• Infants categorise colour as early as 4-months old.
• Lateralisation of categorical perception of colour changes across development.  Categorical perception of colour switches from the right to the left hemisphere when colour terms are learnt.
• Colour discrimination is atypical in children with autism.  Chromatic thresholds are elevated relative to controls matched on age and non-verbal cognitive ability.
• Infant colour preference can be summarised in terms of weights on the two fundamental neural processes that underlie early colour coding.

 

Publications

Franklin, A., Sowden, P., Notman, L., Gonzales-Dixon, M., West, D., Alexander, I., Loveday, S. & White, A. (2009). Reduced chromatic discrimination in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Developmental Science, in press.

Clifford, A., Franklin, A., Davies, I.R.L. & Holmes, A. (2009). Electrophysiological markers of color categories in the infant brain.  Brain and Cognition, 71, 165-172.

Holmes, A., Franklin, A., Clifford, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2009). Neuro-physiological evidence for Categorical Perception of Colour: evidence from Event-Related Potentials on a visual oddball task. Brain and Cognition, 69, 426-434. 

Franklin, A., Bevis, L., Ling, Y. & Hurlbert, A. (2009). Biological components of infant colour preference. Developmental Science, 13, 188-200.

Franklin, A. (2009).  Pre-linguistic categorical perception of colour cannot be explained by colour preference: response to Roberson and Hanley.  Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 13, 501-502.

Franklin, A., Wright, O. & Davies, I.R.L. (2009).  What can we learn from toddlers about Categorical Perception of Colour? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 102, 239-245.

Franklin, A., Drivonikou, G.V., Clifford, A., Kay, P., Regier, T. & Davies, I.R.L. (2008). Lateralization of Categorical Perception of color changes with color term acquisition.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 47, 18221-18225.

Franklin, A., Sowden, P., Burley, R., Notman, L. & Alder, E. (2008). Colour perception in children with autism.  Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 1837-47.   

Franklin, A., Pitchford, N.J.P., Mahony, L., Davies, I.R.L., Clausse, S. & Jennings, S. (2008). Salience of primary and secondary colours in infancy. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 26, 471-483.

Franklin, A., Drivonikou, G.V., Bevis, L., Davies, I.R.L., Kay, P. & Regier, T. (2008). Categorical Perception of color is lateralized to the right hemisphere in infants, but to the left hemisphere in adults. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105, 3221-3225.

Drivonikou, V., Kay, P., Regier, T., Ivry, R., Gilbert, A., Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2007). Further evidence of Whorfian effects to the right visual field.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104, (3), 1097-1102.

Franklin, A. (2006). Constraints on children’s colour term acquisition. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 94, 322-327.

Daoutis, C., Franklin, A., Riddett, A., Clifford, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2006). Categorical effects in children's colour search: a cross-linguistic comparison.  British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 23, 1-29.

Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2006). Converging evidence for pre-linguistic colour categorisation.  In C.P Biggam & N. Pitchford (Eds.), Progress in Colour Studies: Psychological Aspects (pp. 101-120). Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins.

Franklin, A., Pilling, M. & Davies, I.R.L. (2005). The nature of infant colour categorisation: Evidence from eye-movements on a target detection task. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 91, 227-248.

Franklin, A., Clifford, A., Williamson, E. & Davies, I.R.L. (2005). Colour term knowledge does not affect Categorical Perception of colour in toddlers.  Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 90, 114-141.

Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2004). New evidence for infant colour categories. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 22 (3), 349-377.

Davies, I. & Franklin, A. (2002). Categorical similarity may affect colour pop-out in infants after-all. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 20, 185-203.

 

Book Reviews

Franklin, A. (2008).  Review of 'Anthropology of Color', edited by Robert E. MacLaury, Galina V. Paramei and Don Dedrick.  Color Research and Application, 33, 335.

Franklin, A. (2006). A review of ‘SPSS (2nd edition) Survival Manual; a step by step guide to data analysis using SPSS Version 12.’ Psychology Teaching Review, 12, 66-67.

 

Invited talks

Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, debate to be led 2010

Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, to be given 2010

Vision@UCL, University College London, 2009

The Whitehead Lecture, Goldsmiths University, 2009 

Language and Development Group, Oxford University, 2009

Adult and Child Cognition Group, Royal Holloway, 2009

Department of Psychology, Oxford Brookes University, 2008 

Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, 2008

Health Sciences, University of Roehampton, 2008

Psychology Department, University of Reading, 2007

Psychology Department, University of Bangor, 2007

Psychology Department, Lancaster University, 2006

Childhood Research in Autism Cognition Group, University of Nottingham, 2006

Centre for Childhood Development and Learning, The Open University, 2005

Dannemiller Lab, Rice University, Houston, USA, 2004

Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, University of London, 2004

Developmental Psychology Group, University of Nottingham, 2003

Developmental Psychology Group, Oxford University, 2003

 

Conference Presentations

Franklin, A. Color perception and cognition in infancy and early childhood. (2009) Invited Keynote presentation at the Iberian Conference on Perception.

Franklin, A., Sowden, P., Notman, L., Alexander, I. & Loveday, S. (2008). Elevated chromatic thresholds in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Progress in Colour Studies, Glasgow.

Franklin, A., Bevis, L., Ling, Y., Hurlbert, A. (2008). Biological components of infant colour preference. Progress in Colour Studies, Glasgow.

Clifford, A., Franklin, A., Holmes, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2008). The Time Course and Neural Markers of Infant and Adult Categorical Perception of Colour. Progress in Colour Studies, Glasgow.

Drivonikou, G.V., Clifford, A., Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2008). Category training affects colour discrimination. Progress in Colour Studies, Glasgow.

Franklin, A., Clifford, A., Holmes, A., Drivonikou, V.G. & Davies, I.R.L (2008). Neural markers and lateralization of categorization in infancy: the domain of color. For presentation at a symposium: Franklin, A. & Kaldy, Z. (Convenors). Infants use of color in understanding the physical world. International Conference of Infant Studies, Vancouver.

Clifford, A., Franklin, A., Holmes, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2007). Colour categories in infancy: an ERP study. 13th European Conference on Developmental Psychology, Jena.

Franklin, A., Drivonikou, G.V., Bevis, L., Cornforth, J., Davies, I.R.L. (2007).  Changes in hemispheric asymmetries of categorical perception of colour across development. 13th European Conference on Developmental Psychology, Jena

Drivonikou, G.V., Davies, I.R.L., Franklin, A. & Taylor, C. (2007).  Lateralisation of colour categorical perception: a cross-cultural study.  European Conference on Visual Perception, Arezzo.

Franklin, A. & Notman, L. (2007).  Elevated tritan thresholds in women taking the contraceptive pill. European Conference on Visual Perception, Arezzo.

Franklin, A., Sowden, P., Govan, A. & Alder, E. (2006). Colour perception in children with Autism.  British Psychological Society Developmental Section, London.

Drivonikou, G.V., Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2006). The development of hemispheric asymmetries in colour categorisation.  British Psychological Society Developmental Section, London. 

Franklin, A., Holmes, A., Clifford, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2006). The nature of Categorical Perception of colour: neuro-physiological evidence from event-related brain potentials on a visual oddball task. Experimental Psychology Section, Plymouth.

Franklin, A., Drivonikou, G.V. & Davies, I.R.L. (2006). Hemispheric asymmetries in Categorical Perception of Colour. European Conference on Visual Perception, St Petersburg.

Clifford, A., Franklin, A., Holmes, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2006). Categorical Perception of Colour: An ERP study. European Conference on Visual Perception, St Petersburg.

Wright, O. A., Davies, I.R.L. & Franklin, A. (2006). Colour category effects on a target detection task in three age groups: a cross linguistic comparison.  European Conference on Visual Perception, St Petersburg.

Holmes, A., Clifford, A., Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2006). The nature of categorical perception of color: An ERP study. 6th Congress of the Federation of European Psychophysiology Societies, Budapest.

Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L.  (2006). Hemispheric asymmetries in infant color categorisation. International Society of Infant Studies Conference, Kyoto.

Franklin, A., Pitchford, N.J.P., Mahony, L., Jennings, S. & Davies, I.R.L. (2006). Color Preferences in Infancy. International Society of Infant Studies Conference, Kyoto.

Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2005). Using eye-tracking to assess perceptual development in Infancy.  For presentation at a symposium: Pitchford, N. & Franklin, A. (Convenors) Assessing perceptual and cognitive development in infants and toddlers: theoretical and clinical implications. British Psychological Society Developmental Section Conference, Edinburgh.

Franklin, A., Alder, E. & Sowden, P. (2005). Colour discrimination in children with Autism. 10th Child Vision Research Society Meeting, Slovenia.

Franklin, A., Pitchford, N., Clausse, S. & Davies, I.R.L. (2005). Colour preference in infancy and an association with order of colour term acquisition in toddlers. 10th Child Vision Research Society Meeting, Slovenia.

Franklin, A., Pilling, M. & Davies, I.R.L. (2005). Colour categorisation in infancy is perceptual. 9th European Congress of Psychology, Granada, 2005.

Franklin, A., Pilling, M. & Davies, I.R.L. (2005). The nature of color categories in infancy: Evidence from eye-movements on a target detection task. Society for Research in Child Development Conference, Atlanta.

Franklin, A., Pilling, M. & Davies, I.R.L. (2004). Category effects in visual search: evidence from eye-movement latencies. European Conference on Visual Perception, Budapest.

Franklin, A., Daoutis, C., Clifford, A., Riddett, A., & Davies, I.R.L. (2004). Visual search for colour in four-month old infants: The effect of linear separability. 14th Biennial International Conference of Infant Studies, Chicago.

Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2004). The development of perceptual colour categorisation. Progress in Colour Studies Conference, Glasgow.

Franklin, A., Riddett, A., Clifford, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2003). Language and categorical perception of colour: Developmental and cross-cultural approaches. European Conference of Visual Perception, Paris.

Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2003). Colour categories in infancy — the contribution of hue, brightness and saturation. XIth European Conference on Developmental Psychology, Milan.

Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2003). Colour integrality and the perception of hue and lightness in children: A cross- cultural approach. Society for Research in Child Development Conference, Tampa.

Wiggett, A., Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2002). The integrality of hue and lightness: A cross-cultural comparison. British Psychological Society Cognitive Conference, Kent.

Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2002). Hue categories in infancy: a replication and extension of a classic study. British Psychological Society Developmental Conference, Sussex.

Franklin, A. & Davies, I.R.L. (2002). The roles of categorical and perceptual similarity in infant colour perception. 13th Biennial International Conference of Infant Studies, Toronto.

Franklin, A. & Davies, I. (2001). Categorical similarity may affect colour pop-out in infants after-all. European Conference of Visual Perception, Turkey.

 

Funding, Grants and Consultancy

• £99,796, Economic and Social Research Council Grant.
  Hemispheric Asymmetries in Categorical Perception of Orientation in Infants and Adults, RES-000-22-2861. With Dr. Di Catherwood (University of Gloucestershire), 2008-2009
• Centre for Learning Development, University of Surrey. Analysis of Student Course Evaluation Questionnaire administered to University of Surrey students, writing of report, 2008
• Dyrup Ltd. Consultancy on infant colour perception, 2007
• £9,877, Research and Enterprise Support Grant. Colour Perception in Children with Autism, 2006-2007
• Wish Films. Consultancy on attention in toddlers for development of a TV programme for toddlers, 2006
• £25,000, Joint Innovation Fund Grant. The Origin of Colour Categories
  With Dr. Amanda Holmes (University of Roehampton) and Prof. Ian Davies (University of Surrey), 2005-2006
• £6,000, Research and Enterprise Support Grant. Infant Colour Preference, 2004-2005
• Economic Social Research Council Post-doctoral Fellowship, PTA-026-27-0110, 2003-2004
• Economic and Social Research Council PhD Studentship, R42200124191, 2001-2003

 

Media

• Radio interviews: National Public Radio (USA); BBC 5 Live; Southern Counties Radio ; Eagle Radio; Radio 6PR Perth (Australia); Beat Radio (Ireland); Mercury Radio
• Printed Media: BBC News Online; Nature News; The Times: Junior Baby and Pregnancy Magazine; Surrey Advertiser

Peer review:

• Associate Editor, Infant and Child Development
• Ad hoc review for: ESRC; Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry; Cognition; Journal of Experimental Child Psychology; British Journal of Developmental Psychology; Psychology Teaching Review; Memory and Cognition; Color Research and Application; Developmental Science