Jeffery Pendleton

I am a researcher originating from the US, Southern Kentucky, specialising in human cognition, behaviour, and cultural studies. I am passionate about exploring diverse cultures and understanding the many factors that make up the human experience! 

In my research at the University of Cambridge, I take multidisciplinary approaches, intersecting the domains of Anthropology, Comparative Cognition, Psychology, Linguistics, and Human Behavioural Ecology, to investigate the dynamics of human cognition and behaviour.

During my undergraduate studies, I pursued a multidisciplinary education that spanned Indo-European Languages (both ancient and modern) and the Natural and Social Human Sciences.

I concluded my undergraduate studies with Arizona State University, where I earned a BA in Anthropology and graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2022.

I am a member of the Comparative Cognition Lab and am supervised by Professor Nicola S. Clayton FRS for my PhD.

I am also conducting an ongoing research project in collaboration with my previous MPhil supervisor in the Department of Archaeology, Dr. Nikhil Chaudhary.

I am a member of Selwyn College and actively engage in its community in my role as MCR President. I am also a proud Alumnus of Girton College, having been a member during the 2022-23 academic year when earning my MPhil.

At the University of Oxford, I am an Associate Member of both the Keble College MCR where I hold the role of Selwyn Exchange Office and the Balliol College MCR.

Pendleton JRL and Clayton NS (2026) Time in mind: a multidisciplinary review on temporal perception, cognition, and memory. Front. Cognit. 4:1688754. doi: 10.3389/fcogn.2025.1688754 

Elected FRSA: Nominated and elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in recognition of research and public-facing work in cognitive science, temporal cognition, memory, future thinking, and decision-making under uncertainty.

Kentucky Colonel Commission: In May 2024, I was honoured by Kentucky State Governor Andy Beshear. I was issued with Letters Patent officially commissioning me as a Kentucky Colonel, recognizing me as Honorable, and granting me the title of Colonel in recognition of my academic achievement and service to various communities. Kentucky Colonel is the highest title of honour bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

PhD Research

My PhD research focuses on how people experience and perceive time, examining epsisodic memory, false memory, epsiodic simulation, and temporally structured cognition. Within this I also study how linguistic variation in expressing time shapes memory, mental representations of time, and perceptions of future events. 

I’m currently inviting online participants to take part in my PhD research at the University of Cambridge. If you’re interested in contributing to this fascinating project, please go to https://jrlp.me/participate-in-my-research/ 

MPhil Research 

My MPhil research explored how neighbourhood-level socio-ecological factors—such as population density, ethnic diversity, and crime rates—affect psychological outcomes in large, multi-ethnic urban populations. I focused on the schizotypy continuum, a range of cognitive traits including supernatural beliefs, eccentricity, paranoia, and unusual perceptual experiences. This work connects evolutionary and clinical psychology, offering insights into cognitive diversity and its relevance for understanding schizophrenia-spectrum conditions. Although my MPhil degree is complete, this research remains active, and I am preparing publications based on the collected data.

Supervisions for Lent Term 2024

B1: Humans in Biological Perspective 

PBS6: Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology — What Causes Autism?

PBS10: Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience — Combining Clinical, Cognitive and Neurobiological Approaches to The Complex Symptoms of Mental Illness

I am committed to advancing knowledge in anthropology, psychology, and cognitive science, with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches that integrate evolutionary, ecological, and cultural perspectives. I welcome academic collaborations and am also open to consultancy opportunities where my expertise in human cognition and behaviour can help address challenges in fields such as technology, economics, healthcare, and urban development.