Comparative Cognition Lab

Comparative Cognition Lab

The Comparative Cognition Lab is led by Professor Nicola Clayton. We study the development and evolution of cognition. The work is inspired by our research on the cognitive performance, behaviour and problem-solving abilities of corvids (members of the crow family, which includes jackdaws, rooks and jays), humans (including children) and a number of other animals, notably cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish and squid). Members of the lab and our extended group also conduct behavioural research on dogs, elephants, and New Zealand robins.

Lab group in January 2020. From left to right: Dr Alizée Vernouillet, Jamie DuBois, Dr Maria Loconsole, Dr Gabrielle Davidson (back), Dr María Cabrera-Álvarez, Ben Farrar (back), Francesca Cornero, Emily Danby, Elías García-Pelegrín (back), Dr Alex Schnell, Professor Nicky Clayton, Dr Anna Frohnwieser, Amy Hodgson. Missing: Ning Ding, Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison), Dr Luigi Baciadonna, Tom Liu, and Clive Wilkins.

Reproducibility

From November 2018, the Comparative Cognition Lab has adopted a new Reproducibility Policy. All studies will be pre-registered. Data and analysis code will be made openly available once the manuscript is accepted for publication, contingent on informed consent for studies with human participants and ethical approval from the relevant body. Both the raw data, and a machine-readable copy, will be available with appropriate meta-data, and data sharing should adhere to the FAIR Data Principles. All lab members will be responsible for ensuring that they adhere to the Reproducibility Policy for the studies that they lead. We are committed to ensuring that new and existing lab members receive the necessary support and training in order to become familiar with pre-registration and data sharing.