Traditionally, comparative cognition focused on the comparison of group level performance across species. Individual variation in task performance within a species was largly dismissed as noise. However, elucidating the structure of indvidual differences within a species can lead to more informative species comparisons. In this project, we investigate individual variation in executive functions in children, capuchin monkeys, and chimpanzees.

Previous studies showed that apes seek information when they are unsure about the location of food. Some have described information seeking in great apes as a metacognitive strategy to fill in knowledge gaps. Others argued that their information seeking might just be a foraging strategy without any metacognitive control. In this project, we examine the flexibility and complexity of great apes' information seeking in order to resolve this debate.

Dogs orient to changes or unusual events in their environment, which Pavlov called the ‘investigatory reflex’. However, a precise characterisation of the type of (unusual) events that can capture their attention and trigger exploration is missing to date. In this line of research, we investigate - using stationary and mobile eye tracking technology - what kind of expectations dogs have about their physical and social environment and whether they take action when these expectations are violated.

Intention-reading and sensitivity to ostensive signals have a critical role in how humans interact with one another and how we learn and teach. However, we still have a surprisingly limited understanding of the evolution, prevalence and complexity of these abilities among non-human (non-primate) animals. Dogs (Canis familiaris) are a unique model system to address the issue due to their shared evolutionary history with humans. In this project, we use modern tracking technology (mobile and stationary eye tracking as well as 3D body tracking, see above video) and novel behavioural paradigms to examine dogs' sensitivity to human intentions and ostensive signals.