Person

Researcher

Cognitive Science
Department of Philosophy

Contact information

E-mail can.kabadayilucs.luse

Room LUX:B476

Visiting address
Helgonavägen 3, Lund

Postal address
Box 192, 221 00 Lund

Internal post code 30

The overarching research question is to understand the principles of complex cognition by comparing different species that show cognitive complexity. Such investigations of independently evolved cognitive skills can help us understand the principles of complex cognition.

With this overarching question in mind, I work mainly with corvid birds as well as with parrots and great apes in their ability of self-control and prospective cognition. Self-control is investigated using both motor self-regulation as well as inter-temporal choice tasks. I also investigate the flexibility behind corvid planning skills by testing ravens (Corvus corax) in a non-caching context, using bartering and tool-use tasks. Documenting such flexibility component is important for the independent evolution of prospective skills as such skills have recently been documented on great apes.

Research

My profile in Lund University research portal

LUCS Cognitive Zoology Group

The order of things: the evolution of sequential planning (research leader)

The overarching research question is to understand the principles of complex cognition by comparing different species that show cognitive complexity. One fruitful idea is to investigate the underlying cognitive mechanisms in vastly different animal groups such as corvids and great apes in order to understand if they also share similarities with such building blocks as they do with complex cognition. Such investigations of independently evolved cognitive skills can help us understand the principles of complex cognition. With this overarching question in mind, I work mainly with corvid birds as well as with parrots and great apes in their ability of self-control and prospective cognition. Self-control is a fundamental mechanism that plays role in various cognitive skills such as decision-making and planning, and we investigate it with the above-mentioned species using both motor self-regulation as well as intertemporal choice tasks. I also investigate the flexibility behind corvid planning skills by testing ravens (Corvus corax) in a non-caching context, using bartering and tool-use tasks. These experiments test the flexibility component because success in such tasks are hard to be explained by specific adaptations as those tasks are highly artificial. Documenting such flexibility component is important for the independent evolution of prospective skills as such skills have recenty been documented on great apes.

Books (1)

Kabadayi, C. (2017). Planning and inhibition in corvids. MediaTryck Lund. Dissertation.
- Full text (PDF)

Articles (9)