Cognition & Welfare Group
University of Lincoln
Riseholme Park, LN2 2LG
Phone: 01522 895460
aracca@lincoln.ac.uk

I am a PhD student from France joining the University of Lincoln in 2007. I gained my BSc in Psychology (specialty in Cognition & Brain) at the University of Besançon where my final research dissertations focused on cognition and child development (theory of mind & psycholinguistic). I then obtained my MSc in Ethology at the University of Paris XIII where I investigated human-dog interaction (behaviour of fear of humans toward the muzzle dog) and facial movements in humans (gender differences).

Qualifications
2007 MSc Ethology, University of Paris XIII, France
2005 BSc Psychology, University of Besançon, France

Present position
PhD student
Department of Psychology & Department of Biological Sciences
Thesis title: Sensitivity to facial communication in humans and dogs.
Supervisors: Dr Kun Guo, Dr Kerstin Meints & Prof Daniel Mills

Current research activity
My PhD project investigates domestic dogs’ strategies to process both conspecific and human faces/facial expressions, with some phylogenetical and ontogenetical perspectives [comparative aspects with humans (notably children), pack-living hounds and human-raised wolves].
For more information click here

GRANTS

2011 European Science Foundation (ESF), CompCog group, Short Grant (1 week), training of an undergraduate student for data collection on 'Recognition of familiar human faces in domestic dogs, a comparison of their abilities through passive and active choices' at the Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna (Austria) – Hosts: Prof. Ludwig Huber, Dr. Friedericke Range, Dr. Zsófia Virányi.

2010     European Science Foundation (ESF), CompCog group, Exchange Grant, study on ‘Recognition of familiar faces in the domestic dog’, Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna (Austria) – 2 months. Hosts: Prof. Ludwig Huber, Dr. Friedericke Range, Dr. Zsófia Virányi.

2010     Centre for Mind/Brain Science, Travel Grant awarded to present a poster ‘Sensitivity to each others’ emotion: gaze bias in responding to facial expressions in both domestic dogs and children’, at the Workshop on Cognition and Evolution (CogEvo), Rovereto (Italy).

2010     NordForsk Infrastructure Research, Training Course on Experimental methods and designs for the study of spatial cognition, language and development, Trondheim (Norway) – 1 week.

2009     European Science Foundation (ESF), CompCog group, Exchange Grant, study on ‘Face processing in human-raised wolves’ at the Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary) – Host: Dr. Ádám Miklósi.

2008     European Science Foundation (ESF), CompCog group, Short Grant, visit of various labs and departments in Vienna, Altenberg and Grünau (Austria) – 1 week. Hosts: Prof. Ludwig Huber, Dr. Zsófia Virányi.

2007     Full scholarship, University of Lincoln (UK) – 3 years.

ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC EVENTS
2010     Organiser of the UK CompCog Lab visit (European Science Foundation)
University of Lincoln, University of Bristol, University of Cambridge.

TEACHING
2009-     Behavioural Ecology unit-Evolutionary Psychology (Lecture & Seminar)
2009-     Cognition unit (Practical)

MEMBERSHIP
2007-     Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB- UK)
2006-     French Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour (SFECA- France)

PUBLICATIONS
Racca A., Amadei E., Ligout S., Guo K., Meints K., Mills D. (2010) Discrimination of human and dog faces and Inversion responses in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). Animal Cognition, 13 (3), pp. 525-533.

Racca A. & Baudoin C. (2009). The dog or its muzzle as a signal of danger in humans? Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 4(2), p.94.

PUBLICATIONS IN PREPARATION
Racca A. et al. Reading each-others’ faces: Processing of human and canine emotional facial expression in dogs and children, a study of their eye movements.

Racca A. et al. Enculturation versus domestication in the processing of human faces by domestic dogs.

CONFERENCES
Racca A., Guo K., Meints K., Mills D. (2010) Dog sensitivity to canine and human emotional facial expressions. A study of their eye movements. 2nd Canine Science Forum, poster session & poster teaser, Vienna, Austria.

Meints K., Racca A., Hickey N. (2010) Child-dog misunderstandings: Children misinterpret dogs' facial expressions. 2nd Canine Science Forum, talk session, Vienna, Austria

Meints K., Racca A., Hickey N. (2010). How to prevent dog bite injuries? Children misinterpret dogs’ facial expressions. Safety Conference, Talk session, London, UK.

Racca A., Guo K., Meints K., Mills D. (2010) Sensitivity to each others’ emotion: gaze bias in responding to facial expressions in both domestic dogs and children. Workshop on Cognition and Evolution (CogEvo), Poster session, Rovereto, Italy.

Racca A., Hickey N., Meints K. (2009) Judgement of dog facial expressions in 4-6 year-old children and adults. Northern League Psychology Meeting, Talk session, Lincoln, UK.

Racca A., Amadei E., Ligout S., Guo K., Meints K., Mills D. (2009) Discrimination of human and dog faces and Inversion responses in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). 31st International Ethological Conference, Talk session, Rennes, France.

Lopes F.A., Magnusson M.S., Racca A., Simeonovska-Nikolova D., Baudoin C. (2009) Gender differences in facial movement production: a case study. 31st International Ethological Conference, Talk session, Rennes, France.

Racca A., Baudoin C. (2008) The dog or its muzzle as a signal of danger in humans? 1st Canine Science Forum, Poster session & poster teaser, Budapest, Hungary.

Racca A., Magnusson MS., Ades C., Lopes FA., Baudoin C. (2007). A gender difference in human facial movements’ organisation? ASAB Winter meeting, Poster session, London, UK.

Racca A., Magnusson MS., Ades C., Lopes FA., Baudoin C. (2007). Differences related to the gender in human facial dynamics: the case of a Brazilian population. Proceedings 5th Meeting European Research Group on Methodology for the Analysis of Social Interaction, Talk session, Budapest, Hungary.

Lopes F.A., Magnusson M.S., Racca A., Simeonovska-Nikolova D., Baudoin C. (2007). Facial movement production in a Bulgarian population. Proceedings 5th Meeting European Research Group on Methodology for the Analysis of Social Interaction, Talk session, Budapest, Hungary.

Baudoin C., Magnusson MS., Lopes FA., Racca A., Durand JL., Hacquin M., Simeonovska-Nikolova D., Ades C. (2007). Facial movement production: How does it vary with sex and population? Proceedings 5th Meeting European Research Group on Methodology for the Analysis of Social Interaction, Talk session, Budapest, Hungary.

SEMINARS AND OTHER TALKS

2010
‘Introduction to the Study of Face processing in domestic dogs’
UK CompCog Lab visit (European Science Foundation), University of Lincoln, UK.

2010
‘Face processing in domestic dogs’
CogBio Seminar at the Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria

2009
‘Face-specific processing in domestic dogs?’
Research Seminar at the Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.

2008
‘Face processing in humans and domestic dogs’
Talk (lab visit participant) at the Department of Neurobiology and Cognition Research, University of Vienna, Austria.

2008
‘How do dog process faces?’
Talk (lab visit participant) at the Konrad Lorenz Institute for Comparative Ethology, Altenberg, Austria.

2007
‘Sensitivity to facial communication in the domestic dog’
Seminar Series, Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, University of Lincoln, UK.

2007
‘Eye movement study of facial communication in human and non-human animals’
Research Seminars of the Department of Psychology, University of Lincoln, UK.