The
Laboratory of Comparative Ethology (LCE) carries out a program of basic
biobehavioral research investigating cognitive, social-emotional, and biological
development in humans and in nonhuman primates. The laboratory studies both
genetic and environmental factors and their multiple interactions from a
comparative perspective in order to characterize the developmental trajectories
of individuals across a broad range of species, populations, and settings.
Field and laboratory-based studies of biobehavioral development in nonhuman
primates are designed specifically to facilitate comparisons with findings
from long-term prospective investigations of human infants and their families
as well as with data obtained by neuroscience techniques, thereby promoting
translational analyses. Longitudinal designs are employed in most studies
in order to address basic issues of continuity versus change and the relative
stability of individual differences throughout development. Many investigations
concomitantly collect a variety of both behavioral and biological measures
reflecting multiple levels of analysis in order to examine patterns of covariance
among measures both within and between levels of analysis. The laboratory
places major emphasis on characterizing and understanding normative patterns
of development in order to identify particularly recurrent or unusual patterns
and evaluate their consequences with respect to established norms.
Stephen Suomi and his colleagues investigate biological and behavioral development
in selected nonhuman primate species by focusing on interactions between
genetic and environmental factors that affect the course of individual developmental
trajectories throughout the lifespan. John Newman uses neuroscience techniques
to study brain mechanisms involved in the production of various types of
primate vocalizations, to examine subtle acoustical differences in these
characteristic calls, and to investigate their function in several primate
species. Marc Bornstein’s group examines cognitive, language, and social-emotional
development in human infants and children, with special emphasis on the
relationships among early attentional processes, social stimulation from
and interactions with care givers, and subsequent cognitive and social behavioral
capabilities. Michael Lamb heads a team that studies the effects of different
types of care-giving practices on human infant and toddler social and emotional
development and cognitive competence. Particular attention is given to longitudinal
approaches that transcend infancy, childhood, and adolescence as well as
to process-oriented studies of interactional styles, memories, and social
perceptions. |
