The Social Cognition Lab | Welcome
The focus of this laboratory is on the study of the development and evolution of social intelligence. A particular focus of our lab and its members is on social learning, a central social intelligence skill. The laboratory has two sites: The George Washington University (GWU) where our focus is on the development of imitation learning among other social learning skills in typically-developing children and in children with autism. A second laboratory site is in the National Zoological Gardens (NZ) where we conduct comparative cognitive research with a number of primate species, principally, orangutans and gorillas.
The George Washington University
Our laboratory is located in the main campus of GWU in the Speech and Hearing Center and is part of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science (SPHS) as well as the Mind, Brain and Evolution Center. Presently our lab conducts studies with typically-developing children as well as children with autism. For a description of specific studies or how you can participate please visit the following link: Child Research.
Our lab currently has a total of 5 graduate students: Three MA students from SPHS and two doctoral students from the Department of Psychology. For more information about these students, their interests and activities in the lab visit the following link: Students.
The Think Tank
The National Zoo’s Think Tank is a unique zoological exhibit not of a particular species but of a biological process: the mind. This exhibit aims to educate the public on the continuities and discontinuities between human and non-human minds. It also presents visitors with an opportunity to see comparative research being conducted by one of the members of our laboratory, live. In this regard, the Think Tank is an exceptional laboratory with a dedicated support and research staff. For more information on the Think Tank, please visit the NZ’s website: nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ThinkTank/
Recently, in collaboration with the Think Tank and the National Zoo, our laboratory has developed the Ape Mind Initiative (AMI). This educational and research program funded by the National Science Foundation will bring students from all educational levels, Post-Doctoral, Graduate, Undergraduate, and High School students to the national zoo where they will participate in research and in two courses: The Evolution of the Human Mind and Primate Cognition Research. For more information on the AMI program please visit the following link: AMI
