An illustration of my favorite chimpanzee at the Los Angeles Zoo (Yoshi) and I. Rosa Muñoz, a former undergraduate mentee and UCLA alumna, gifted the artwork!
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About Me
I am a comparative & evolutionary psychologist researching the properties of mammal facial signaling and its implications for the evolution of sociality, gestural communication, and human language. I work with various captive populations of non-human primates (platyrrhines, cercopithecoids, gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees) and non-primate mammals (cats and dogs). I use Facial Action Coding Systems (or FACS) to study the physical form of facial signals. The FACS are systematic and standardized methods for coding facial muscle movement produced during bouts of communication. Additional information about my current research projects is on the "Research Lab" web page. I am currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Lyon College. I am also the Founder & Director of the Lyon College Animal Behavior & Cognition Lab. I earned my B.A. in Anthropology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2014, my M.A. in Anthropology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2016, and my Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of California Los Angeles in 2022. For my M.A., I researched the relationship between pair bond strength and facial signaling within multiple species of gibbons (Hylobates spp., Hoolock spp., and Nomascus spp.). For my Ph.D., I examined how facial signaling compares to other modes of communication (such as manual gesturing) in a captive group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). |
Recent News
April 1st 2024: Congratulations to Aisha Mahmoud and Benji Norton for their outstanding presentations at the Southwestern Psychological Association Annual Convention and the Student Creative Arts and Research Forum (SCARF)! Copies of their posters and presentations have been made available on ResearchGate. Additional information will be available in a press release soon (link will be posted here). Congratulations!
January 5th 2024: Congratulations to Aisha Mahmoud and Benji Norton for having their research accepted for presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Annual Convention! Aisha will present her research entitled: "Cracking the Code: Assessing the Communicative Potential of Mammals with FACS and Python Algorithms". Benji will present his research entitled: "The Art of Chimpanzee Diplomacy: Unraveling the Secrets of Successful Negotiations". Copies of both presentations will be made available on ResearchGate soon!
November 4th 2023: News outlets have shown great interest in recent research from the ABC Lab! A new tab will be added to the webpage to display information about relevant news articles. Information regarding interviews and digital media outreach will be available on this website soon. For now, please contact Dr. Florkiewicz directly ([email protected]) if you would like to request information. Note that this page will be incomplete since we are continuously adding it. Please revisit frequently to stay up-to-date with the latest news and developments!
October 26th 2023: Lauren Scott and Dr. Florkiewicz's work on intraspecific cat facial signals was recently published in Behavioural Processes and covered by Science Magazine. Lauren conducted this research as an undergraduate student and is the lead author of this paper. Congratulations on this outstanding achievement, Lauren! Readers can view the article in Behavioural Processes HERE and the Science Magazine article HERE.
Please reach out to Dr. Florkiewicz directly if you want a copy of the Behavioural Processes article.
Please reach out to Dr. Florkiewicz directly if you want a copy of the Behavioural Processes article.
On September 29th 2023, Dr. Florkiewicz will present at the Lyon College Faculty Colloquium. The talk will take place in Nucor Auditorium (in the Lyon College Building) from 4-5PM. The abstract for the talk is as follows: Primates frequently use visual signals when communicating with conspecifics, which includes facial expressions and gestures. These two forms of visual communication are thought to be different: facial expressions are perceived as spontaneous and inflexible, whereas gestures are perceived as intentional and flexible. As a result, facial expressions are seldom incorporated in gesture research and theories regarding the evolution of human language. The ability to gesture with the face may be helpful for non-human primates who rely extensively on their limbs for locomotion. In this talk, I will present data on whether chimpanzee facial expressions are capable of being used as gestures. In addition, I will also present the research being carried out by my newly established lab group: the Animal Behavior & Cognition Lab. Members and supporters of the lab are encouraged to attend!
May 31st 2023: Lyon College is a private, non-profit institution, meaning that funding is mostly generated through donations and tuition. Please consider making a financial donation to the Department of Psychology to support research being conducted by the Animal Behavior & Cognition Lab! All donations will go towards: lab equipment; student travel fees to research conferences; and primate-themed service activities (such as Presents for Primates)!
Click here to learn more & donate!
Click here to learn more & donate!
May 26th 2023: Peyton Allen, a member of the Animal Behavior & Cognition Lab, recently presented her research progress at UCLA's Undergraduate Research Week! Her talk was entitled "On the Importance of Touch and Embrace in Gibbons (Nomascus spp. & Hoolock spp.)", and was part of the Anthropology, Gender and Ethnic Studies showcase. Congratulations on delivering your first research presentation, Peyton!
You can download a copy of her PowerPoint presentation here. A video recording of her talk will be made available soon!
You can download a copy of her PowerPoint presentation here. A video recording of her talk will be made available soon!
April 12th 2023: Congratulations to Bailey Barnard, a member of the Animal Behavior & Cognition Lab, for winning second place at the 2023 Student Creative Arts and Research Forum! Her poster presentation entitled "Gaze Aversion and Intentionality in Gorillas" won second place in the Research Category. This was Bailey's first research presentation! Bailey has been working on this project since Fall of 2022 as part of my "Primate Perspectives on the Brain and Behavior" course.
You can view her abstract here in the official program, and download a copy of her award winning poster presentation here.
You can view her abstract here in the official program, and download a copy of her award winning poster presentation here.
November 16th 2022: The PALs Club of Lyon College hosted their first annual "Presents for Primates" event! Students and faculty worked together to create enrichment boxes for the residents of Chimp Haven, a non-profit primate sanctuary. Chimp Haven was established in 1995, and is currently home to over 300 chimpanzees who have retired from the biomedical, entertainment, and/or exotic pet industry. These enrichment boxes will provide much-needed supplies for Chimp Haven's growing population of retirees. You can learn more about Chimp Haven here: https://chimphaven.org/
Special thanks to Lyon College's Student Government Association, which financially sponsored this event!
Special thanks to Lyon College's Student Government Association, which financially sponsored this event!