Eva Reindl, third-year Phd student at the School of Psychology, received the Linda Mealey Award by the International Society for Human Ethology (ISHE) in August for her paper on young children’s spontaneous tool-use abilities.
Eva’s research investigated which simple forms of tool use two- and three-year-old children are able to invent on their own, that is, without having to learn them from others. The results suggest that young children are able to independently invent a range of tool behaviours which wild non-human great apes also show. The paper, which was published in February with Proceedings of the Royal Society B, thus closes crucial knowledge gaps with regard to the basis of human tool culture.
The Linda Mealey Award was given by the International Society for Human Ethology (ISHE) to five junior scientists for high quality research in human ethology. Applicants for the award submitted a 2,500 word abstract and presented a talk at the 23rd Biennial Congress on Human Ethology held from 1 to 5 of August in Stirling, Scotland. The award consists of US$2000, full membership of ISHE for two years, waiving the conference fees and accommodation costs for the next ISHE meeting, and a certificate.