The Social Cognition Lab is directed by Dr. Francys Subiaul, a Cognitive Scientist with training in experimental psychology and biological anthropology. Over the years his research has explored various facets of social learning and reasoning including problem-solving in human and non-human populations. The primary focus of his research has been to characterize different forms of social learning and their relationship to individual learning. The ultimate goal of this research program is to better understand a fundamental feature of our species: the ability to generate and faithfully transmit social-cultural knowledge. For more information about his research see: Research. If you want to learn more about the courses he teach at GWU see: Academics.
Research Assistantships Opportunities
In any given semester the Social Cognition Lab hosts anywhere from 5 to 15 students from various academic disciplines (SPHR, Anthropology, Psychology, Biology) and educational backgrounds (BA, MA, PhD, Post-Doctoral). Students that are interested in a research assistantship are required to dedicate at least 5 hours a week to the lab. Research activities include the following: recruiting and testing research participants in various research sites, helping sort, organize and store data, and analyze video recordings.
Research assistants have the opportunity to learn about research ethics, behavioral research methods, how to generate data tables and figures and perform basic data analysis using common tools like MS Excel. Research assistantships not only enhance and supplement course-work but also provide students with a unique academic experience.
If interested, please contact Dr. Francys Subiaul to set-up a meeting: Subiaul.lab@gmail.com.
Affiliations and Collaborators
GW Mind-Brain Institute
GW has a rich history of cognitive neuroscience research. A particularly famous series of studies was conducted by GW psychologist Richard Walk and his colleague Eleanor Gibson in the early 1960’s. Their “visual cliff” paradigm provided the inspiration for a generation of new researchers to investigate the development of spatial perception in human infants. GW researchers are now poised to usher in a new era of research leadership in cognitive neuroscience.
The objective of the GW Mind-Brain Institute is to create a community of scholars engaged in unique research and training in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. We aim to provide distinctive, hands-on research opportunities for undergraduate students and cutting-edge, world-class training for graduate students.
GWIN promotes research and training throughout several departments and affiliated institutions at GW in the mechanisms of normal and pathologic brain function. The GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences at GW, and the office of the Vice-President for Research at GW jointly support GWIN programs. The research interests of the faculty include behavioral, evolutionary, systems, cellular, and developmental neuroscience.
Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology
The Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology (CASHP) is a research center at the George Washington University. CASHP’s Mission is to undertake research that addresses fundamental problems in human evolution that cross disciplinary boundaries, to act as a catalyst for research involving scientists from other centers around the world, and to promote interdisciplinary research through training and education.
CASHP brings together faculty from the Departments of Anthropology, Biology, Engineering and Applied Sciences, Forensic Science, Speech and Hearing Science, Philosophy, and Anatomy and Regenerative Biology at the George Washington University.
CASHP is also closely linked with the Human Origins Program of the Smithsonian Institution, the College of Medicine at Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, and the Carnegie Institution of Washington. CASHP is home to the Human Paleobiology Graduate Program at the George Washington University.
Georgetown Early Learning Project
In collaboration with Rachel Barr’s Early Learning Project at Georgetown University, we are conducting a study using multiple different games to find out how preschoolers learn from video and touchscreen. We are examining how preschoolers learn from others and how age and memory development contribute to this learning. This study is unique because it takes place at the Smithsonian Zoo in the Think Tank. If you are at the zoo please stop by to participate or contact us for more specific information about scheduling.
