Department of Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation
Canisius University
Research
Broadly, my research is concerned with social cognition, or how nonhuman animals think about the social world. I am particularly interested in how social relationships develop and how the day-to-day interactions between individuals reinforce or undermine pre-existing relationships. I approach this question from a comparative perspective, looking at how social relationships influence decision-making in different species.
Of particular interest to me is the difference between animals that have evolved to be solitary (like cats) and those that evolved in social groups (like dogs and chimpanzees).
Sociality and welfare in cats
I am fascinated by the social world of our companion animals. For most species, including humans, our primary interactions are with members of our own species. Our cats and dogs live in a very different world: they need to understand humans and other cats and dogs as well. Thus, their social lives cross species boundaries in a way that is really unique among animals.
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The primary way I explore the social world of cats is by examining the social behavior of cats housed at the SPCA Serving Erie County. My research teams observes social interactions, body language, and the space use of cats during their time at the shelter. Through this research we hope to gain a better understanding of how cats interact with each other and how we can help them stress less in the shelter environment.
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Many thanks to the SPCA of Erie County for partnering with me on this research!
Cooperation in chimpanzees
Chimpanzees have a reputation for being aggressive and competitive, and they certainly can be. However, they also have great potential for prosocial behavior and cooperation. With colleagues at the Living Links Center of Emory University, I have been studying what makes cooperation work. Questions I am interested include: what makes a good cooperative partner? What are the deal breakers? How are cooperative relationships initiated and maintained?
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Prior to studying chimpanzee cooperation, I examined similar questions in capuchin monkeys by looking at how partner familiarity and fairness influenced prosocial tendencies.
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Prospective research assistants please note: I am no longer accepting students to work on chimpanzee research.
Photo credit: Frans de Waal