Ph.D., University of California, San Diego
Experimental Psychology
My primary focus of research is cognitive aging. I study factors that influence long term memory in older adults and children. Environmental factors include continuing education, spaced retrieval and other moderators of change. I am also interested in the development of selective attention abilities of children, young adults, and older adults, including the role of distractor processing in selective attention, and behavioral and neural mechanisms of cognitive inhibition.
Introduction to Psychology
Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience
Research Methods Practicum
Psychology of Aging
Psychopharmacology
Advanced Topics in Neuroscience
SCU Lifelong Learning lab
Gerontology Practicum
Human Neuropsychology
Psychology of Autism
Health & Aging (Public Health course)
History and Systems in Psychology
Neuroscience Seminar Course
Neuroscience Capstone
Drugs, Policies, and Race Seminar
Gerontology is a multi-disciplinary field involved in the study of aging and elderly adults. Students from any major at SCU may enhance their credentials by participating in the Gerontology program at SCU.
Gonzalez, T., Simone, P., Whitfield, L. (2025). Finding the limits of the metacognitive illusion: Utility of font size variations in learning. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. Advance online publication.
Scott, J., Cepukenas, E., Himes, M., Anderson, K., Grewal, K., Mai, A., Yuter, S., Simone, P. (2025). Dementia caregiver perspectives on technology’s place in care practices: Mixed methods survey. JMIR Formative Research,2025; 9:e69596.
Simone, P.M., Whitfield, L.W., Bell, M.C., Escobar, C. Whitehouse, A. Vargas, S. (2024). The surprising effectiveness of re-reading as a study strategy. In L. G. Chova, C. González Martínez, & J. Lees (Eds.), ICERI2024 Proceedings (pp. 1859-1863). IATED.
Simone, P.M., Whitfield, L. C., Bell, M.C., Kher, P., Tamashiro, T. (2023). Shifting students toward testing: Impact of instruction and context on self-regulated learning. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications.