This track develops an original conception of the combination of cognitive, social and behavioral specializations which allows adaptation of the populations and communities (of animals as well as humans) to the changing environment. Based on the system of tests developed especially for these purposes, the individual variability of cognitive characteristics is studied, and the correspondence between cognitive and behavioral (anxiety, aggression, research activity) characteristics, social status and functional role in the community is examined empirically. Communities characterized by different degrees of integration are considered: dissociated populations (rodents, passerines), supraorganismal structures (colonial birds), eusocial insects (social hymenoptera). Comparative research on human groups is also conducted (e.g, groups of children of different age).
Research is conducted at the Section of comparative psychology (Institute of Medicine and Psychology).
