The Auditory, Language, Perception, Hearing and Attention Lab
Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development
Department of Psychological Sciences
Birkbeck, University of London
Email address: m.kachlicka@bbk.ac.uk
Website: mkachlicka.github.io
Research interests
I'm a researcher exploring the auditory world - speech, music and environmental sounds. My current research focuses on the neural encoding of environmental sounds and speech, their sensory attributes, and meanings. I explore aspects of auditory processing using behavioural methods and EEG. I'm particularly interested in perceptual and neural processes of auditory categorisation and transformations of sound signals entering the ear up to the auditory cortex and higher auditory areas. I'm also investigating the roles of auditory processing, attention, and salience in language learning (speech perception and production) and developing language training and assessment methods.
Education
PhD Psychology; Birkbeck, University of London (2020-2023)
MPhil Cognitive Science; University College London (2018-2020)
MSc Psychological Research Methods (Distinction); Birkbeck, University of London (2017-2018)
BSc Psychology (Summa Cum Laude); University of Nicosia, Cyprus (2015-2017)
Research experience
Institute of Education, University College London – Research Assistant (2020-2023)
Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck University of London – Research Assistant (2018-2020)
Experimental Psychology Lab at University of Cyprus (Nicosia, Cyprus) – Research Intern (2017)
University of Social Sciences and Humanities – SWPS (Poznan, Poland) – Research Assistant (2015-2020)
Research publications
Kachlicka, M.*, Symons, A. E.*, Saito, K., Dick, F., & Tierney, A. (2024, in press). Tone language experience enhances dimension-selective attention and subcortical encoding but not cortical entrainment to pitch. Imaging Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1162/imag_a_00297
Kachlicka, M., & Tierney, A. (2024). Voice actors show enhanced neural tracking of pitch, prosody perception, and music perception. Cortex, 178, 213-222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2024.06.016
Kachlicka, M., Patel., A. D., Liu, F., & Tierney, A. (2024). Weighting of cues to categorization of song versus speech in tone language and non-tone-language. Cognition, 246, 105757. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2024.105757
Saito, K., Kachlicka, M., Suzukida, Y. Mora-Plaza, I., Ruan, Y., & Tierney, A. T. (2024) Auditory Processing as Perceptual, Cognitive, and Motoric Abilities Underlying Successful Second Language Acquisition: Interaction Model. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 50(1), 119-138. https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0001166
Saito, K., Petrova, K., Kachlicka, M., Suzukida, Y., Tierney, A. (2022). Training auditory processing promotes second language speech acquisition. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 48(12), 1410-1436. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/xhp0001042
Saito, K., Kachlicka, M., Suzukida, Y., Petrova, K., Lee, B. J., Tierney, A. (2022). Auditory precision hypothesis-L2: Dimension-specific relationships between auditory processing and second language segmental learning. Cognition, 229, 105236. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010027722002244
Saito, K., Hanzawa, K., Petrova, K., Kachlicka, M., Suzukida, Y., Tierney, A. (2022). Incidental and multimodal high variability phonetic training: Potential, limits, and future directions. Language Learning, May 2022, 1-43. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12503
Kachlicka, M., Laffere, A., Dick, F, Tierney, A. (2022). Slow phase-locked modulations support selective attention to sound. NeuroImage, 252, 119024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119024
Saito, K., Macmillan, K., Kachlicka, M., Kunihara, T., & Minematsu, N. (2022). Automated assessment of second language comprehensibility: Review, training, validation, and generalization studies. Studies in Second Language Acquisition. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263122000080
Saito, K., Macmillan, K., Kroeger, S., Magne, V., Takizawa, K., Kachlicka, M., & Tierney, A. (2022). Roles of domain-general auditory processing in spoken second language vocabulary attainment in adulthood. Applied Psycholinguistics. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716422000029
Saito, K., Sun, H., Kachlicka, M., Alayo, J., Nakata, T., & Tierney, A. (2022). Domain-general auditory processing explains multiple dimensions of L2 acquisition in adulthood. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 44(1), 57-86, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263120000467 (Received the Albert Valdman award for outstanding publication in SSLA)
Mitchell, A., Oberman, T., Aletta, F., Kachlicka, M., Lionello, M., Erfanian, M., & Kang, J. (2021). Investigating urban soundscapes of the COVID-19 lockdown: A predictive soundscape modeling approach. The Journal of Acoustical Society of America, 150, 4474–4488. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0008928
Kachlicka, M., Laffere, A., Dick, F, Tierney, A. (2021). Slow phase-locked endogenous modulations support selective attention to sound. BioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.03.429516
Saito, K., Kachlicka, M., Sun. H., & Tierney, A. (2020). Domain-general auditory processing as an anchor of post-pubertal second language pronunciation learning: Behavioural and neurophysiological investigations of perceptual acuity, age, experience, development, and attainment. Journal of Memory and Language, 115, 104168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2020.104168
Mitchell, A., Oberman, T., Aletta, F., Erfanian, M., Kachlicka, M., Lionello, M., & Kang, J. (2020). The Soundscape Indices (SSID) Protocol: A Method for Urban Soundscape Surveys—Questionnaires with Acoustical and Contextual Information. Applied Sciences, 10(7), 2397. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10072397
Kachlicka, M., Saito, K., & Tierney, A. (2019). Successful second language learning is tied to robust domain-general auditory processing and stable neural representation of sound. Brain and Language, 192, 15-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2019.02.004
Conference papers
Mitchell, A., Oberman, T., Aletta, F., Erfanian, M., Kachlicka, M., Lionello, M., & Kang, J. (2020). Making cities smarter with new soundscape indices. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 146, 2873. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.5136970
Aletta, F., Oberman, T., Mitchell, A., Erfanian, M., Lionello, M., Kachlicka, M., & Kang, J. (2019). Associations between soundscape experience and self-reported wellbeing in open public urban spaces: a field study. The Lancet, 394(S17). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32814-4
Poster presentations
Kachlicka, M.*, Symons, A. E., Ruan, Y., Saito, K., Dick, F., Tierney, A. T. (2024). Effects of targeted perceptual training on L2 suprasegmental cue weighting strategies. 33rd Conference of the European Second Language Association (3-6 July 2024, Montpellier, France)
Kachlicka, M., Symons. A. E., Saito, K., Dick, F., & Tierney, A. T. (2023). Effects of first language background and musical experience on cue weighting, attention, and dimensional salience in speech and music. Society for Neurobiology of Language Annual Meeting (24-26 October 2023, Marseille, France)
Kachlicka, M., van den Bosch, J., Kang, J., Dick, F. (2022). Representations of natural sound categories. FENS Summer School on Artificial and Natural Computations for Sensory Perception (22-28 May 2022, Bertinoro, Italy)
Talks
'How does prior experience change the way we listen to sounds and learn new languages' at the University of Miami, US (June 2024)
“Auditory processing in second language learning” at the Brain & Language Seminar, University of Helsinki, Finland (February 2019)
Grants and Awards
Albert Valdman award for outstanding publication in SSLA, 2022
Travel Award, Computational Cognitive Modeling for Language Summer School, University of California Irvine, 2022
Language Learning Dissertation Award, Research Grant, 2022
Bloomsbury Studentship, Birkbeck University, 2020-2023
ERC Studentship, ERC Advanced Grant to Prof Jian Kang No. 740696, 2018-2020
JUCE Diversity Scholarship, Audio Developers Conference, 2019
Student Travel Award, Real World Communication Workshop, University of Connecticut, 2018
Kenway Legacy Scholarship, Birkbeck University, 2017-2018
Scholarship Based on Academic Performance, University of Nicosia, 2016-2017