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.

Orangutans are the least gregarious great ape genus. How does their semi-solitary lifestyle affect the way they solve problems requiring cooperation? In this project, we examine instrumental and motivational aspects of cooperative problem-solving in orangutans as compared to chimpanzees, bonobos, and children.

Otters are a subfamily of 13 extant species that show features associated with complex cognition, including long life-spans, complex social systems, and tool-use. Nevertheless, hardly anything is known about the cognitive abilities of otters. The Otter Project investigates the problem-solving abilities of Asian small-clawed otters and giant otters in both a social, cooperative context and an individual foraging context.