Why are you so smart?

A key aspect of being human is our intellect. We innovate technology, communicate with language, and solve problems flexibly. We empathize and deceive. We imagine. In many respects, what makes us human is not that we walk upright, or that we are hairless—it's our cognition.

This course will take a comparative approach to understand human psychology by looking at the cognitive abilities of animals with a focus on primates. The course will present experiments and observational studies that examine social learning, self control, tool use, communication, cooperation, and how primates theorize about their worlds, including the minds of others.

Each week we will discuss a topic in primate cognition. We will combine traditional lectures with podcasts, discussions, and activities. For example, Dr. Sandel will interview the authors of many of the research articles that we discuss. Some of these scientists will join our class via video conferencing to enable students to ask their own questions. Students will also have assignments to implement cognitive experiments with their friends, pets (if applicable), maybe pigs, and squirrels of UT!

Primate Cognition

Mondays and Wednesdays

1:00-2:30 PM

Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:00 -Zoom Meeting ID: 657 041 4989

https://utexas.zoom.us/j/6570414989

Syllabus: ANT 310 Primate Cognition syllabus 2021.pdf

Course schedule with discussion leader sign-up: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11nnKbeuQ73KFlEWIJbPySKTO2WkB-C-UaANaxuCWBUs/edit?usp=sharing

Textbook: There is no textbook for this course. Students can download PDFs of assigned articles and recorded videos of interviews. Instead of spending money on a required book, please budget ~$30 for costs associated with field trips and class projects. Please email Dr. Sandel if this inconveniences you, and I can work to cover that cost.

About the Professor: Click here to learn more about Dr. Sandel

Major assignment 1: Podcast

In groups of 3 people, answer one of the following questions by making a podcast:

-Do apes have a theory of mind?

-Why do humans (and primates) have such large brains?

-Is language uniquely human?

-What makes human cognition unique?

-What is the smartest animal?

-Is comparing intelligence across species racist?

-How do you test cognition using smell?

-Who's smarter? Birds or apes?

-What drives cognitive complexity, socializing or finding food?

-To what extent are animals empathetic and altruistic?

-What role did "self domestication" play in ape cognitive evolution?

-Why do people feed animals?

You can use the pre-recorded conversations from the Fall 2020 semester as well as additional interviews with Dr. Sandel and others.

Major Assignment 2: Cognition research project

In groups of 3 people, design an experiment building on the methods you've learned in class and in the readings to test an aspect of animal cognition. Select a study population (E.g. squirrels, pigs, dogs, chickens, humans) to implement your study.

Example topics:

-Do pigs have friends?

-Are squirrels aware of human social cues?

-Are squirrels becoming self-domesticated?

Major Assignment 3: Science outreach

In groups of 3 people, design a lesson plan for high school students about primate cognition and the specific study you did for "Major Assignment 2."

Pre-recorded interviews

Learning: Conversation with Dr. Mike Domjan

Social intelligence, dogs, etc.: Conversation with Dr. Evan MacLean

Self domestication: Conversation with Dr. Brian Hare

Nocturnal strepsirrhine ecology and cognition: Conversation with Dr. Stephanie Poindexter

Cooperative capuchins: Conversation with Dr. Marcela Benítez

Theory of mind and false belief: Conversation with Dr. Chris Krupenye

Teaching animals language: Conversation with Dr. Irene Pepperberg

Art and drawing: Conversation with Dr. Matt Cartmill

What do cognition experiments really test? Conversation with Dr. Daniel Povinelli