Laurie R. Santos

Associate Professor

Ph.D. 2003, Harvard University
Address: SSS 213
Phone: 203-432-4524
Email: Laurie.Santos@yale.edu
Lab Page

Research Interests:

My research explores the evolutionary origins of the human mind by comparing the cognitive abilities of human and non-human primates.My experiments focus on non-human primates (in captivity and in the field) incorporating methodologies from cognitive development, cognitive science, and animal learning. 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?

My current work explores whether primates possess precursors to a theory of mind, how primates reason about different kinds of things (foods, artifacts, and animals), and whether primates share human-like decision-making biases.

Sample Publications:

Mahajan, N., Martinez, M., Gutierrez, N., Diesendruck, G., Banaji, M., & Santos, L. R. (2011). The evolution of intergroup bias: Perception and attitudes in rhesus macaques. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(3). 387-405.

Lakshminarayanan, V., Chen, M. K., & Santos, L. R. (2011). The evolution of decision-making under risk: Framing effects in monkey risk preferences. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47. 689-693.

Egan, L., Bloom, P., & Santos, L. R. (2010). Choice-induced preferences in the absence of choice: Evidence from a blind two-choice paradigm with young children and capuchin monkeys. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46. 204-207.

Phillips, W., Shankar, M., & Santos, L. R. (2010). Essentialism in the absence of language? Evidence from rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Developmental Science, 13(4). F1-F7.

Lakshminarayanan, V. & Santos, L. R. (2008). Capuchin monkeys are sensitive to others? welfare. Current Biology, 18. R999-R1000.