Experimental investigations of time perception, working memory, and metacongnition in animals

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The major objective of my research program has been to contribute to the general area of cognitive science by increasing our understanding of how animals encode and retain information. Time and number, along with space, constitute fundamental dimensions which animals must effectively utilize in order to survive and reproduce. The primary focus of my research has been on laboratory-based behavioural investigations designed to further our understanding how pigeons and rats process both temporal and numerical information. The proposed research will primarily focus on behavioural studies in pigeons and rats designed to further clarify (1) the way in which stimulus properties impact temporal perception and how experimental conditions affect the expression of these effects; (2) the mechanisms underlying animals' encoding and memory of temporal information; and (3) whether pigeons have metamemory for temporal information. Understanding the effects of stimulus properties on temporal processing, the way in which animals process temporal information, and the capacities and limitations for metacognition in animals will mark a significant advancement in our understanding of animal cognition at a functional level and should also contribute to neurobiological investigations of these processes in nonhuman animals.