Research Interests
I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Comparative Cultural Psychology Group at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. My interest is in the social cognitive abilities of non-human primates and human infants, which I explore through a comparative perspective. Specifically, I am interested in how primates solve cooperative social dilemmas that involve a conflict of interest. To that end, I conduct non-invasive experiments using a variety of Game Theoretical models such as the Snowdrift and the Prisoner's Dilemma game. In these games, subjects must coordinate their actions in situations where their interests are not aligned. I am also interested in investigating coordination at the group level in great apes and children as well as how apes bargain in different social dilemmas.
Besides, I also conduct cognitive studies aimed at investigating the psychological mechanisms underlying irrational cognitive biases in great apes, such as the "less is more" effect, "sunk-cost" effects and "decoy effect" tasks" in collaboration with colleagues at the Central European University and the University of St. Andrews.
Previously, I held a Postdoctoral (DFG Fellowship) at the Department of Cognitive Science of the University of California, San Diego. At UCSD I collaborated with Dr. Federico Rossano to investigate a variety of topics including exploration abilities in children, risk propensities in great apes and coordination and conflict resolution in gibbons and common marmosets (in collaboration with Dr. Judith Burkart from the Univeristy of Zurich).
Besides, I also conduct cognitive studies aimed at investigating the psychological mechanisms underlying irrational cognitive biases in great apes, such as the "less is more" effect, "sunk-cost" effects and "decoy effect" tasks" in collaboration with colleagues at the Central European University and the University of St. Andrews.
Previously, I held a Postdoctoral (DFG Fellowship) at the Department of Cognitive Science of the University of California, San Diego. At UCSD I collaborated with Dr. Federico Rossano to investigate a variety of topics including exploration abilities in children, risk propensities in great apes and coordination and conflict resolution in gibbons and common marmosets (in collaboration with Dr. Judith Burkart from the Univeristy of Zurich).
