Exploring the Dolphin Mind
Probably more than any other animal, dolphins have repeatedly captured the imagination of people around the world. This is at least partly due to the fact that they have a reputation of being incredibly intelligent. But how much of that is true? What do we actually know about dolphin cognition, and how do we know it? Do they have language? Can they mentally keep track of objects? How do they coordinate their cooperation?
In this talk, I’ll discuss a number of research projects on different aspects of dolphin cognition, including object permanence, imitation, cooperation, and communication. We’ll examine how we go about designing and conducting experiments to study minds so different from our own, what kinds of conclusions we can draw, and why any of that matters, anyway.
Kelly Jaakkola, PhD
Kelly Jaakkola is a cognitive psychologist, marine mammal scientist, and Director of Research for the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key, Florida. She earned her Master's degree in Psychology from Emory University, where she began her career studying cognition in chimpanzees and human children, and received her Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from MIT. Her past research includes studies on number concepts, object permanence, imitation, and communication in dolphins, chimpanzees, and human children. Her current work focuses on dolphin cognition, communication, and welfare.