Language and Comparative Cognition

We are interested in studying whether human complex cognitives abilities, such as those involved in language and music processing, might have emerged from sensitivities already present in other species. We tackle this issue using a combination of experimental techniques and populations that include human adults and infants, and non-human animals. Our aim is to understand what is uniquely human and what is shared with other animals.

 

People interested in these topics could check a brief description of our different research lines, our course in the Master in Brain and Cognition, or contact us.

 

We are part of the Center for Brain and Cognition.

 

Our studies have been widely covered in the media. For a brief summary you can take a look at these press releases:

 

A Psychonomic society featured content post on the detection of rhythmic structure by non-human animals here and an UPF post here.

An APA Spotlight article on the processing benefits of consonance in animals here.

Brain responses to the violations of harmonic expectations here and here.

Consonance processing here.

Meter induction in the spatial domain here.

Isochrony detection by rats here. This paper was the Featured Article in the February 2020 issue of the Journal of Comparative Psychology.

 

On September 29th-30th 2016 we hosted the Beyond Language Learning Workshop.

Juan Manuel Toro

Mercè Rodoreda building (Ciutadella campus)
Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27
08005 Barcelona

 (+34) 93 542 11 71