Ape Mind Initiative | Education

The AMI program will focus on the development of two courses, one theoretical, The Evolution of the Human Mind (EHM) and another that is applied, Primate Cognition Research (PCR) as well as a public ‘master’ lecture. While EHM will be offered as an undergraduate elective to GWU students, CPR will be mandatory for the AMI interns. This seminar will be part lecture and part discussion and will entail evaluating specific publications on great ape cognition; focusing on the methods and procedures used in each study. Lectures and discussion will focus on good research design and issues such as random sampling, counterbalancing of experimental conditions, stimulus control, experimenter bias, and observer reliability. A final project will consist of a proposal for a research project.

A significant mission of the Think Tank as well as the AMI program is to bring grater understanding of the mind of non-human primates. So, in addition to these courses, there will be daily pubic demonstrations of on-going research directed by the PI or the attending post-doctoral fellow. And, once a year, a prominent ape researcher will be invited to give a public lecture covering major research findings and their implications for the public at large. These lectures will be accessible to a mass audience and not limited to scientists.

Anyone interested in enrolling in any of these courses, who wish to participate in research or attend a public demonstration or lecture is encouraged to contact Dr. Subiaul (subiaul@gwu.edu).