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Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)

@drrmiller.bsky.social

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Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · Nov 25

Exciting updates from @themanybirds.bsky.social - really happy we now have our preprint from ManyBirds Study 1 available! Such a pleasure to be a Co-Founder and Project Co-Lead for the ManyBirds Project, with an amazing core and study 1 leadership team, and so many wonderful collaborators. ❤️

ManyBirds Project @themanybirds.bsky.social · Nov 25

We are delighted to announce that ManyBirds Study 1 “Evolutionary drivers of neophobia across the avian clade” is now available in pre-print: doi.org/10.31219/osf... and been submitted for peer-review publication. 1/

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Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · 29d

Planning was not linked with theory of mind, thus thinking about one's own future may rely on a different skill set than switching perspectives. Using this under-represented sample, we show managing one's own thoughts/actions is a crucial building block for learning how to prepare for tomorrow. 6/6

Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · 29d

Our findings: age four seems to be a turning point, 4- and 5-year-olds outperformed 3-year-olds - consistent with Western findings, suggesting a common developmental milestone. Planning & executive functions were linked: children with stronger executive functions were better at future planning. 5/

Figure shows mean scores of children’s responses in Card in Basket task, i.e. one of the 4 future-oriented cognition tasks

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Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · 29d

We tested future-oriented cognition (imagining/ constructing mental representations of future & future planning), executive function (working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility) and theory of mind (understanding/ attributing mental states to others). 4/

Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · 29d

Most research on this topic has focused on children in Western countries. To broaden our understanding, we conducted a study with 87 3 to 5-year olds in China to see if their development followed similar patterns. 3/

Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · 29d

As researchers, we're fascinated by how children learn to think about the future. You might see this challenge in your own life - ever tried to convince a preschooler to bring a jacket because it might get cold later, only for them to refuse because they're warm now? 2/

Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · 29d

New paper just out: Rachael Miller @drrmiller.bsky.social, Ning Ding & Nicky Clayton in Cognitive Development: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... on the “Cognitive correlates of future-oriented cognition in young Chinese children”. @campsydept.bsky.social @cam.ac.uk 1/

Cognitive correlates of future-oriented cognition in young Chinese children

Future-oriented cognition, which broadly encompasses an array of cognitive processes involved in understanding, constructing, imagining and planning f…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)

ManyBirds Project @themanybirds.bsky.social · Sep 9

Stay tuned for a very exciting update coming shortly from the ManyBirds Project! Eeek!

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Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)

Ekaterina Pronizius @epronizius.bsky.social · Jul 13

Dream team: Alessandroni @drrmiller.bsky.social @dremalt.bsky.social @marinabazhydai.bsky.social @mamsmandrill.bsky.social @jespinosa.bsky.social Gjoneska @izziehb.bsky.social @valmazza.bsky.social Paukner @epronizius.bsky.social Proulx, Qadri, Reilly, Schwing ...

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Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · Jul 16

It's been a busy few weeks, with also giving a research talk at the Behaviour Discussion Group, Department of Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter in June - thank you again to @cornishjackdaws.bsky.social for hosting me! 2/2

Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · Jul 16

Really enjoyed giving an invited research talk today at the Behaviour and Evolution seminar series, Departments of Behavioural Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Theoretical Biology at Bielefeld University. Thank you @kpg13.bsky.social ‪for inviting me! 1/2

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Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)

Ekaterina Pronizius @epronizius.bsky.social · Jul 13

Check our new preprint! Our systematic review of 206 reversal learning studies shows that behavioural flexibility research is heavily biased towards birds, rodents, and humans, with most animal diversity virtually untested. #Manymanys #BigTeamScience #ComparativeCognition

PsyArXivBot @psyarxivbot.bsky.social · Jul 1

Flexible Behavior or Flexible Methods? A Cross-Taxon Review of Experimental Designs in Reversal Learning: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/mvche_v1

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Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)

Dr Blake Morton @drblakemorton.bsky.social · Apr 25

Excited to share our latest preprint, just accepted in Animal Behaviour. Congrats to @kristyadaway.bsky.social on her first first-author publication! #ECRresearch #PhDpaper @uniofhull.bsky.social 🦝🧠🧩🌎

Link to preprint: doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Wild raccoons are more innovative but not bolder than another ecological generalist, the Virginia opossum, on a pull-string task

Humans are altering natural environments at unprecedented rates. Ecological generalism is one of the strongest predictors of survival in light of these changes which, in animals, may be shaped by bold...

doi.org

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Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)

Denis REALE 🇨🇦 @denisreale.bsky.social · Apr 25

Personality-driven hunting mortality in male moose, through habitat selection.

Wildlife Biology @wildlifebiology.bsky.social · Apr 25

Living under the scope: behavior affects survival in a heavily harvested and long-lived ungulate vist.ly/3m2qsjv #Moose #Hunting #Survival #Behaviour

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Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · Apr 1

Thanks very much, Blake! Hope you're well

Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · Mar 28

Honoured to receive this @compcogsoc.bsky.social award and incredibly grateful for our community's collaboration and support, thank you!

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Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)

Comparative Cognition Society @compcogsoc.bsky.social · Mar 28

The Early Career Award Winner Featured Session starts at 11:30am! Award winner Rachael Miller @drrmiller.bsky.social will be talking about avian cognition and how it can be applied to #welfare and #conservation. #CO3_2025

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Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · Mar 28

Thanks very much for having me and for this award, very grateful! Loving this conference!

Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · Mar 25

Wow, congratulations!

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Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · Mar 18

Aw, thank you!

Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)

Ondrej Fiser @laniusondrej.bsky.social · Mar 7

🦅🧠 Bird Cognition 🧠🦅
Anyone who studies or is just fascinated by how birds perceive, learn, remember and solve problems 🐦

Let's all meet in this cool new #starterpack 🤩

Let me know if you want to join in too 🦜🦤🦉🦆🐣🪺🪶🧪

🔗 go.bsky.app/V2K7HQM

#Ornithology #Birds #AnimalBehaviour

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Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · Mar 14

Hey, could I join please, Ondrej?

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Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · Mar 4

Excited to receive "Weighing Animal Welfare" book, edited & project led by Bob Fischer, Rethink Priorities, reporting on interdisciplinary project making interspecies welfare comparisons. Great to have contributed as a project consultant & co-author on 3 chapters. See: academic.oup.com/book/58809

Weighing Animal Welfare: Comparing Well-Being Across Species

Abstract. When, if ever, is it better to spend money to improve pig welfare over chicken welfare? Which species of fish is worst off in commercial aquacult

academic.oup.com

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Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)

Delphine De Moor @delphinedemoor.bsky.social · Feb 12

So exciting to see MacaqueNet out into the world! 🤩

Learn about our global community & database centralizing standardized affiliative & agonistic data from 61 populations across 14 macaque species: doi/10.1111/1365...

Explore >600 networks & request data: macaquenet.github.io/database/

MacaqueNet: Advancing comparative behavioural research through large‐scale collaboration

We present MacaqueNet, a global community of macaque researchers who developed the first publicly searchable, standardised database on affiliative and agonistic behaviour. This cross-species database...

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)

ManyBirds Project @themanybirds.bsky.social · Feb 27

A reminder about our OPEN CALL for submission of potential future ManyBirds studies: forms.gle/Qk4hZ6N6DxQB.... Please see link for all info on the process and planned review criteria. Deadline for submission is 31 May 2025. We welcome new ManyBirds collaborators to future studies!

ManyBirds Project: Potential ManyBirds Studies

This is a form for submitting proposals for potential ManyBirds Project future studies (www.themanybirds.com). Full submissions are confidential and will be reviewed by the ManyBirds Core Team Leads ...

forms.gle

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Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison) @drrmiller.bsky.social · Feb 27

An honour to be a co-editor, with @dralexschnell.bsky.social, Elias Garcia-Pelegrin and Josh Plotnik, for this Special Issue in Learning & Behavior dedicated to the wonderful Prof Nicky Clayton. link.springer.com/article/10.3...

A special issue in honor of the contributions of Professor Nicola S. Clayton FRS - Learning & Behavior

It has been an honor to edit this special issue of Learning & Behavior to recognize the exceptional contributions of Prof. Nicky S. Clayton FRS to the fields of comparative cognition and developmental...

link.springer.com

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