Erin Colbert-White

My research combines features of linguistics and animal behavior to understand more about speech-trained African Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus erithacus). Specifically, I am involved in a long-term linguistic analysis of a 16-hour transcription data set of one parrot which allows me to investigate (1) her use of speech to regulate social interactions with her owner, (2) the functional significance of her self-speech, and (3) her use of human-like conversational features such as turn-taking, bargaining, and joint attention. I study these conversational features in other home-raised African Greys as well, and I've recently completed a problem solving study with a social species of hawk, the Harris's Hawk.

Lucy La Cour

My research interests focus on tool use in non-human primates, specifically in capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella spp.) and common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).  My studies implement Fragaszy & Cummins-Sebree's model of spatial relations as well as Lockman's perception-action theory as a way to develop an overarching theory of tool use and its development across species.  I want to know how well non-human primates deal with increasing spatial relations in tool use tasks considering humans are very good at these types of tasks.  I will also be implementing new kinesmatic analysis methods in my research.

Yonat Eshchar

My research interests lie in social attention and social learning – in what situations would non-human primates pay attention to each other, and in what ways can they learn from each other. I'm studying the visual attention of capuchin monkeys in our lab, trying to answer questions such as: Would a monkey prefer to look at a familiar or less familiar conspecific? At a foraging monkey or a non-foraging one? During which activities are they likely to pay visual attention to each other?

I will also study the social learning of nut-cracking behavior of capuchin monkeys in Brazil, examinig the social transmission of this behavior from generation to generation.

Allison Eury

My research interests lie in the spatial cognition and navigation of nonhuman primates. My work implements a combination of laboratory and field techniques in order to investigate the spatial orientation mechanisms of capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella spp., and Cebus libidinosus). My dissertation research utilizes two innovative GIS modeling techniques to analyze the routes taken by bearded capuchin monkeys in Brazil. Agent-based modeling and Cost Path analyses are areas being pioneered in the study of animal behavior, and my work will apply these techniques for the first time to the study of capuchin spatial cognition.

Jing Pan

I am currently interested in planning and decision making for future and uncertain events in non-human primates, which can be applied to the decision making processes of spatial navigation, economical choices and reproductive behaviour. I apply virtual reality to test subjects' decision making processes and develop interfaces for animal-computer interaction (borrowed from the concept of human-computer interaction). 

My colleagues and I found that: (1) Tufted capuchins learned to detour on virtual mazes efficiently; (2) Tufted capuchins transferred maze navigation skills to novel mazes; (3) Tufted capuchins made correct choices at the same rate as chimpanzees; (4) Tufted capuchins used vector information to plan maze navigation. (2) behavioural economics I develop computational models for phenomenons in behavioural economics and I am working on testing my model with non-human and human subjects.

Brian Stone

Brian Stone is studying spatial reasoning and manual actions in chimpanzees, capuchin monkeys, and humans using an object insertion task designed from a perception-action theoretical perspective. Another project is investigating combinatory manipulation behaviors in primates, specifically the stacking of blocks with asymmetrical features.

Brian's Master's Thesis, collaborating with the Language Research Center, used joystick-controlled laser pointer technology to assess rank ordering and decisions made at a distance in capuchin monkeys. Additional projects include an on-going study of vigilance in capuchins, scholarship of teaching and learning, and upcoming work with humans on sense of body ownership and multisensory integration.