Brief Synopsis
Dr. Brady DeCouto’s research background concerns science of human expertise, with a particular emphasis on the cognitive mechanisms involved in skill acquisition and expert performance (e.g., attention, information processing, emotion). Given the acceleration of ubiquitous assistive technologies such as artificial intelligence, wearable sensors, and robotics, Dr. DeCouto’s current research interests are focused on the bidirectional relationship between the use of these technologies and human cognition/learning (i.e., human-machine teaming), and how technological tools can best facilitate human functioning. Dr. DeCouto has applied frameworks for expertise in funded work from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Defense (DoD) agencies, including Air Force Research Laboratory, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), and United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Dr. DeCouto leads research in the Brain, Learning, Attention, and Performance Lab (BLAP Lab), which is housed in the Sport Psychology Laboratory.
Research Areas
Technological Tools and Expert Performance
Dr. DeCouto is currently researching assessing how technological tools (e.g., wearable sensors, movement-assistive robotic devices) can be used to facilitate the acquisition of perceptual and motor skills. He has collaborated with psychologists, roboticists, and engineers to study predictors of performance with technological devices as well as how assistive technologies (e.g., exoskeletons, neurofeedback tools) impact learning.
Neural Markers of Expert Attention
Dr. DeCouto’s graduate research was focused on human perception, using neuroimaging (EEG) and eye-tracking to study cognitive processes during expert performance. Consequently, he has published research investigating neural markers of expert perception in sport, particularly studying global and local attention in relation to experience in sport. Currently, Dr. DeCouto is interested in neural markers of anxiety-related processes during motor control, with future application to research on mild traumatic brain injury.
Talent Identification
During Dr. DeCouto’s early research career, he worked with U.S. Ski and Snowboard to identify factors related to mental health and performance in adolescent alpine ski racers. Consequently, Dr. DeCouto and his colleagues produced a body of work highlighting psychological characteristics related to performance (e.g., mental toughness, perfectionism), sociocultural influences on practice time (e.g., gender, nationality), and systemic influences on athlete engagement (e.g., the relative age effect). Dr. DeCouto has applied methodologies from talent identification in funded research with U.S. DEVCOM, determining optimal learning behaviors, previous technological experiences, and psychological factors related to learning new digital technologies with embedded AI.
Teaching
Dr. DeCouto teaches Motor Skill Learning, Lab Skills, Neuroscience in Sport Psychology, and Cognitive Processes in Sport Psychology.
Personal Background
Dr. DeCouto began his position as Assistant Professor at Florida State University in 2024, coming from his previous tenure as a Research Scientist at Florida IHMC in Pensacola, FL. At IHMC, he gained hands-on experience forming collaborations with talented engineers and researchers in diverse fields of study and conducting research in an industry setting. Previously, he earned his PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Utah, where he studied cognitive motor neuroscience in relation to skill acquisition and expertise. When not at work, he enjoys beach volleyball, music, plants, and any kind of game.