Visual Perception & Categorization
Figure-Ground Segregation in Pigeons
We study how pigeons distinguish objects from their backgrounds in complex visual scenes. This work sheds light on how visual cognition operates in species with very different brains from our own.
Relational Learning and Transposition
From choosing the larger circle to detecting size patterns, pigeons show the ability to generalize relationships. We investigate how they learn and apply rules based on relative rather than absolute properties.
Reasoning & Representation
Transitive Inference in Pigeons and People
Can animals make logical inferences? We use tasks where subjects must deduce relationships (like A > B > C) to explore the roots of reasoning across species.
Transitivity vs. Transitive Inference
We explore the distinction between transitivity as a formal property and transitive inference as a behavioral process, asking what each reveals about cognition.
The SNARC Effect
Both pigeons and humans show spatial-numerical associations—for example, linking smaller quantities with the left and larger with the right. We examine how the brain maps number to space.
Invertebrate Intelligence
Laterality in Tropical Cockroaches
Do cockroaches have a dominant side? Our studies on behavioral asymmetries suggest lateralized brain function even in invertebrates.
Social Inferences in Cockroaches
Surprisingly, cockroaches may respond to social cues in ways that suggest prediction and flexibility. We study how these insects gather and act on indirect information from others.
Want to see more of our research? Visit us on ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Olga-Lazareva-4?ev=hdr_xprf