Evolution of Mind: The representational capacities of gibbons (H. syndactylus) and the common ancestor of humans and apes. This research is the first systematic investigation into the mental capacity of gibbons. These apes are one of our closest genetic relatives. Results of the research will inform human-animal comparisons and investigations into the evolution of the human mind. More appropriate enrichment measures for captive apes could be developed as a result. It is hoped that this work will ....Evolution of Mind: The representational capacities of gibbons (H. syndactylus) and the common ancestor of humans and apes. This research is the first systematic investigation into the mental capacity of gibbons. These apes are one of our closest genetic relatives. Results of the research will inform human-animal comparisons and investigations into the evolution of the human mind. More appropriate enrichment measures for captive apes could be developed as a result. It is hoped that this work will also lead to new collaborations with Indonesia, home of many gibbon species. The proposed research continues Australia's outstanding tradition of excellence in basic research. Read moreRead less
The nature of self-recognition: novel approaches to vexing questions. Mirror self-recognition has often been interpreted as evidence for the presence of some form of self-concept/awareness. Children from age 2 onwards investigate their own bodies after seeing a novel mark on their heads in the mirror (surreptitiously placed in their hair by the experimenter). Younger children and most animals do not respond to their images in such a way (instead, for example, treating it as another individual). ....The nature of self-recognition: novel approaches to vexing questions. Mirror self-recognition has often been interpreted as evidence for the presence of some form of self-concept/awareness. Children from age 2 onwards investigate their own bodies after seeing a novel mark on their heads in the mirror (surreptitiously placed in their hair by the experimenter). Younger children and most animals do not respond to their images in such a way (instead, for example, treating it as another individual). The present experiments probe the nature of self-recognition using novel digital video technology rather than mirrors. This technology allows us to manipulate the contingency and appearance of the image. Five studies investigate the performance of 2 to 4-year-old children, autistic children, chimpanzees and dolphins to determine whether they recognize themselves and what underwrites their performance on the tasks. The innovative use of modern technology is expected to answer some of the most persistent questions in psychology.
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Thinking about the future: The nature and development of mental time travel. This project is one of the first systematic investigations into the development of the human capacity to consider future events. A variety of novel tasks will probe what children know about the future and how it relates to their ability to reason about past events. Comparisons between children and apes will further inform us about the nature of this crucial mental skill. The findings will provide valuable information fo ....Thinking about the future: The nature and development of mental time travel. This project is one of the first systematic investigations into the development of the human capacity to consider future events. A variety of novel tasks will probe what children know about the future and how it relates to their ability to reason about past events. Comparisons between children and apes will further inform us about the nature of this crucial mental skill. The findings will provide valuable information for developing appropriate educational approaches and for our understanding of abnormalities. As international leaders in this field, we are in an ideal position to conduct this research, offer unique opportunities for postgraduate training, and to continue in Australia's outstanding tradition of excellence in basic research.Read moreRead less
Speed of Information Processing Across the Ages: the Structure of Cognitive Abilities in Children, Adults, and the Elderly. Does speed information processing determine intelligence? The study addresses this question by examining the structure of cognitive abilities and speed of processing in children, adults, and the elderly. The project will advance theory by testing whether speed of processing mediates developmental cognitive change during childhood and old age. Outcomes include contributing t ....Speed of Information Processing Across the Ages: the Structure of Cognitive Abilities in Children, Adults, and the Elderly. Does speed information processing determine intelligence? The study addresses this question by examining the structure of cognitive abilities and speed of processing in children, adults, and the elderly. The project will advance theory by testing whether speed of processing mediates developmental cognitive change during childhood and old age. Outcomes include contributing to a complete model of cognition, laying the foundations for a future major longitudinal study which will provide evidence on the direction of causality between speed of processing measures and cognitive abilities, and provide norms for a computerised, commercial test battery.Read moreRead less
Motor coordination in infancy and its relationship to motor and psychosocial development in childhood. Few studies have examined the impact of early motor development on later development, even though there is evidence to show that these early movements influence later motor ability. Motor development can also impact on cognitive, emotional and social development. The current study has data on early motor ability in over 90 infants which includes children at risk of developmental disorders. We ....Motor coordination in infancy and its relationship to motor and psychosocial development in childhood. Few studies have examined the impact of early motor development on later development, even though there is evidence to show that these early movements influence later motor ability. Motor development can also impact on cognitive, emotional and social development. The current study has data on early motor ability in over 90 infants which includes children at risk of developmental disorders. We will carry out a longitudinal investigation of the relationship between early motor development in infancy on motor and psychosocial development in childhood. The results will provide information on early markers for developmental disorders and appropriate intervention techniques than can be initiated in infancy. Read moreRead less
Missing the big picture: Global form perception from infancy to adolescence. There is hardly another system, either biological or artificial, that surpasses the visual system in its ability to process extremely complex and dynamic information. The questions concerning developmental aspects of this ability have been one of the most fascinating in both philosophical and scientific inquiry. This research will provide insights of theoretical significance to the perceptual bases of cognitive developm ....Missing the big picture: Global form perception from infancy to adolescence. There is hardly another system, either biological or artificial, that surpasses the visual system in its ability to process extremely complex and dynamic information. The questions concerning developmental aspects of this ability have been one of the most fascinating in both philosophical and scientific inquiry. This research will provide insights of theoretical significance to the perceptual bases of cognitive development. The research proposed will enhance international collaboration and strengthen Australia's strong reputation in vision research. It also contributes to national research training by offering honours and PhD students research training and international exposure.
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Unifying models of reasoning and memory. Inductive reasoning involves extending current knowledge to new contexts and is therefore essential for effective learning, decision-making and innovative problem solving. This project extends our understanding of this crucial cognitive skill by developing a new and more comprehensive model of human induction. It also examines patterns of inductive development during the pre-school and primary school years, laying the foundation for the development of bet ....Unifying models of reasoning and memory. Inductive reasoning involves extending current knowledge to new contexts and is therefore essential for effective learning, decision-making and innovative problem solving. This project extends our understanding of this crucial cognitive skill by developing a new and more comprehensive model of human induction. It also examines patterns of inductive development during the pre-school and primary school years, laying the foundation for the development of better methods for teaching children how to reason.Read moreRead less
Theory of mind and everyday social behaviour in children with autism, deafness and typical development. Via new insight into the social-cognitive underpinnings of children's peer relationships, we will assist national research priorities to promote child health and limit adverse costs of disability. Our findings will also advance Australia's world leadership in the science of developmental psychology: Building both on our international team's novel social cognition discoveries and proven success ....Theory of mind and everyday social behaviour in children with autism, deafness and typical development. Via new insight into the social-cognitive underpinnings of children's peer relationships, we will assist national research priorities to promote child health and limit adverse costs of disability. Our findings will also advance Australia's world leadership in the science of developmental psychology: Building both on our international team's novel social cognition discoveries and proven successes researching and publishing together, we are ideally poised for scientific discovery, world-class research leadership/ research training, and for fostering a collaborative research network of key international significance, while guiding policies and intervention to help Australia's typically-developing and disabled children.Read moreRead less
The recognition of human body shape in infancy. Newborn infants have expectations about human faces and it is hypothesised that this early knowledge allows them to identify and begin to engage with other humans. While faces are central to identification of and communication with others, human bodies are also highly informative and expressive, yet to date there is almost no research on infants? expectations about human bodies. This proposal details six studies that will systematically explore a ....The recognition of human body shape in infancy. Newborn infants have expectations about human faces and it is hypothesised that this early knowledge allows them to identify and begin to engage with other humans. While faces are central to identification of and communication with others, human bodies are also highly informative and expressive, yet to date there is almost no research on infants? expectations about human bodies. This proposal details six studies that will systematically explore and document the development of infants? expectations about human bodies, and will further test the theory that infants? earliest social interactions are dependent upon representations of the human face and body.Read moreRead less
The Role of Adaptive Coding Mechanisms in the Development of Face Perception. Faces are immensely rich in social information, and early difficulties in extracting such information can have profound consequences for later social functioning. This project will provide insights into the ways in which our face-reading abilities develop throughout childhood. In addition to helping us better understand normal social development, this research will provide a foundation for understanding how face-readi ....The Role of Adaptive Coding Mechanisms in the Development of Face Perception. Faces are immensely rich in social information, and early difficulties in extracting such information can have profound consequences for later social functioning. This project will provide insights into the ways in which our face-reading abilities develop throughout childhood. In addition to helping us better understand normal social development, this research will provide a foundation for understanding how face-reading difficulties can affect people with developmental disorders (such as autism), how face-reading can be disrupted in individuals whose early visual experience is affected by cataracts at birth, and how such difficulties might be alleviated through clinical intervention.Read moreRead less