The Social Cognition Lab investigates social intelligence in human and non-human primates. Some of the questions we are currently pursuing include: Is it possible to dissociate social and physical causal knowledge? What are the characteristics of the imitation faculty? Do human and non-human primates differ in the types of rules or responses they can copy? In humans, does the imitation of different types of rules (spatial, motor, cognitive, vocal) develop in different stages? Through collaborations with the National Zoo and Children’s National Medical Center as well as with scientists in Columbia University, McMaster University, and the University of Southern Mississippi, we aim to address these questions in order to shed light on the development and evolution of the social mind.