Projects per year
Personal profile
Overview
I study the evolutionary roots of social behaviour, asking how we became who we are today, what we share with other animals, and what sets us apart. My research centres on social cognition, how we think and feel about others, with a particular focus on the balance between cooperation and competition. I take a broad comparative approach to the evolution of sociality, having studied birds, bees, and primates. Children are key to understanding our evolution, as their development reveals how key social skills such as cooperation and fairness take shape. Currently, I investigate social cognition in children and chimpanzees, focusing on communication, deception, and competitive gameplay.
Education/Academic qualification
Bachelor of Science, BSc Biological Sciences
2011 → 2014
Award Date: 30 Aug 2014
Master in Science, Evolutionary & Behavioural Ecology, University of Exeter
2014 → 2015
Areas of expertise
- QL Zoology
- QH301 Biology
- BF Psychology
Keywords
- Evolution
- Behaviour
- Psychology
- Evolutionary Game Theory
- Child Development
- Social Cognition
- Comparative
Projects
- 1 Active
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LCD-PSY: Centre for Language, Communication and Developmental Psychology
Ambridge, B. (PI), Theakston, A. (PI), Sturrock, A. (CoI), Kindell, J. (CoI), Buckle, L. (CoI), Ferry, A. (CoI), Freed, J. (CoI), Kandemirci, B. (CoI), Linnert, S. (CoI), Lopez-Perez, B. (CoI), Papastergiou, A. (CoI), Twomey, K. (CoI), Köymen, B. (CoI), Mitchell, C. (CoI), Jensen, K. (CoI), Greenwood-Davies, S. (CoI), Hartshorn, C. (CoI), Ormerod, E. (CoI), Purcell, R. (CoI), Starkey, R. (CoI), Durrant, S. (CoI), Ellis, C. (CoI), Pert, S. (CoI), Waddington, O. (Researcher), Alcock, C. (Researcher), Walibhai, W. (Researcher), Zhang, S. (Researcher), Zhao, C. (Researcher), Leith, K. (PGR student), Ward, L. (PGR student), Price-Williams, D. (PGR student), Benafif, S. (PGR student), Eroglu, H. S. (PGR student), Savill, C. (PGR student), Gregori, F. (PGR student), Manfredi, L. (PGR student), Ozturk Mihci, I. (PGR student), Chen, Y. (PGR student), Ewaida, A. (PGR student), Hu, X. (PGR student), Jackson, K. (PGR student), Kerry, S. (PGR student), Zhang, J. (PGR student), Zhang, R. (PGR student), Chen, S. (PGR student), Breen, S. (PGR student), Ozturk, T. P. (PGR student), Walker-Sharpe, P. (PGR student), Price-Williams, D. (PGR student) & Wood, G. (PGR student)
1/09/25 → …
Project: Research
Prizes
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(2022-2026) ESRC-NWSSDTP PhD Studentship Award
Savill, C. (Recipient), 2022
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
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Best conference presentation: PCHN Research Showcase
Savill, C. (Recipient), 2025
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Savill, C. (Secondee)
2025Activity: External visiting positions or secondments › Visiting an external academic institution › Research
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Pint of Science 2024
Savill, C. (Chair)
2024Activity: Participating in or organising event(s) › Organising a conference, workshop, exhibition, performance, inquiry, course etc › Teaching and Research
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Pint of Science
Savill, C. (Chair)
2023Activity: Participating in or organising event(s) › Organising a conference, workshop, exhibition, performance, inquiry, course etc › Teaching and Research