Dr. Ian Spence

Professor

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Biography

Ian Spence is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto. He was born in Scotland and completed his undergraduate education in mathematics, physics, and psychology at the University of Glasgow. Spence conducted his graduate work at the University of Toronto. His research interests encompass engineering psychology, graphical perception, cognitive neuroscience, psychophysics, and psychometric methods, with a particular emphasis on measurement scaling and statistics. Current research projects of Spence include the effective use of color in scientific visualization, the role of color in visual memory, individual differences in spatial cognition, and the dynamics of information displays on websites. He has a strong interest in the history of statistical graphics, particularly the work of William Playfair (1759-1823), a fellow Scot known for his contributions as an engineer and inventor of fundamental forms of statistical graphs. He was invited by Oxford University Press to rewrite the Playfair entry for the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, contributing to a major revision since the original volumes published between 1885 and 1901.

Research Interests

Requirements for University of Toronto

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.3
IELTS
Listening
Required:6.5
Reading
Required:6.5
Writing
Required:6.5
Speaking
Required:6.5
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Listening
Required:22
Reading
Required:22
Writing
Required:22
Speaking
Required:22
Total
Required:93
Prerequisites
Appropriate four-year bachelor's degree Background in sociological theory and statistics preferred
Application Checklist
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  • Curriculum Vitae
Specialization Notes

Department of Sociology