Laurie Santos, PhD
Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology
Research & Publications
Biography
News
Research Summary
My research explores the evolutionary origins of the human mind by comparing the cognitive abilities of human and non-human primates. I study a number of different non-human primate species incorporating methodologies from cognitive development. My research examines the following broad questions: what domains of knowledge are unique to the human mind? Given that human infants and non-human primates both lack language, what similarities and differences do we see in the expression of non-linguistic domains of knowledge?
Specialized Terms: Primate Cognition
Research Interests
Primates; Psychiatry and Psychology
Selected Publications
- The evolution of our preferences: Evidence from capuchin monkey trading behaviorChen, M.K., Lakshminaryanan, V., and Santos, L.R. (2006). The evolution of our preferences: Evidence from capuchin monkey trading behavior. J. Political Economy 114(3):517-537.
- Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) know what others can and cannot hearSantos, L.R., Nissen, A.G., and Ferrugia, J. (2006). Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) know what others can and cannot hear. Animal Behaviour 71(5):1175-1181.