Cosy Science

Given the many (mis)perceptions about measuring intelligence in people, it might seem even more 'out there' to try measuring intelligence in dogs! Yet anyone who has owned or worked with dogs recognises that some pooches catch-on or learn new things more quickly than others. I will talk about how we went about measuring intelligence in dogs, and, more importantly, why it is worth doing, and how measuring dogs' cognitive abilities may help us with a crushing disease - dementia.

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Rosalind Arden is a Research Associate at CPNSS LSE.  In her PhD (2010 Institute of Psychiatry, she investigated cognitive abilities (intelligence) and associated outcomes, especially those related to health (including lifespan). She is keen on exploring links between intelligence and possible fitness payoffs in non human species, including dogs. Her key methods: behavioural genetics (which illuminates why we are all different from each other). Her intellectual framework: evolutionary theory (which illuminates why we are so similar to one another). Her first degree was in History of Art, Design and Film and she produced science documentaries for television before beginning PhD.

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