Research impact

From “Cultures in chimpanzees” (Nature, 1999) to “Population connectivity explains the distribution and complexity of chimpanzee cumulative culture (Science, 2004), a series of reports has confirmed that cultural traditions pervade the lives of chimpanzees. Chimpanzees appear to display the greatest diversity of traditions among nonhuman animals. Other researchers have built on this work to demonstrate culture in other primate and non-primate species. International conservation bodies have begun to incorporate these discoveries into conservation policies and practices.

Work by Professor Andrew Whiten focuses on the appointment within UNEP’s Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) of an expert group to advise on progress in these endeavours, leading to approval at a 2019 CMS CoP in India of a Concerted Action between three West African range states to conserve chimpanzee’s nutcracking cultures in this region, and building on this, approval at a 2024 CoP in Kazakhstan for a Concerted Action to conserve chimpanzee cultural diversity across 19 African range states. UNEP-CMS and the other major international conservation agency, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are now collaborating in these missions.

We are all aware of the need to address societal inequality, but many of us remain unaware of how these disparities have profoundly shaped the fields of Psychology and Neuroscience. Erin Robbins and Akira O’Connor’s groundbreaking book, Colonised Minds, unravels the ways in which societal power dynamics, colonial legacies, and cultural biases have influenced scientific research, theory, and practice in these fields. Through compelling narratives, the book highlights how scientific knowledge has both reinforced and been shaped by social inequalities, often perpetuating exclusionary perspectives and underrepresenting diverse voices. This work seeks to not only bring these often-overlooked histories to light but also to inspire meaningful discussions on how science can be more inclusive and equitable moving forward. They are now working with the public, scientific societies, and with educators to help bring this knowledge to a wider audience. 

Regular physical activity is known for its positive impact on physical and mental well-being. However, busy lives often lead to physical inactivity, affecting approximately 37% of adults in high-income countries. To combat this, Professor James Ainge collaborates with colleagues Prof. Gozde Ozakinci (University of Stirling) & Dr Andrew Williams, School of Medicine to evaluate the impact of the Step Count Challenge, designed by charity Paths for All.  This workplace program encourages teams of colleagues to compete by tracking their activities. By combining teamwork and competition, the challenge motivates participants to increase their physical activity levels, with research showing significant improvements. As this project continues to develop the team will determine the challenge's impact on cognitive benefits.  

Barbara Dritschel and Rachel Gibson, are researching the effects that mindfulness and nature have on our wellbeing within the university and the wider community. A link has been established between anxiety and depression with rumination levels, and higher levels of rumination can lead to longer episodes of depression. Both mindfulness and time spent in nature have been found to reduce rumination, and therefore both are treatment options for people suffering with ruminative thinking. This research offers an insight into therapy options for the wider community. Specifically, the effects of mindfulness and nature-based mindfulness are compared, in order to understand if there is a combined impact on reducing rumination, when the two aspects are working together. This work aims to guide future research, as well as the development of wellbeing interventions.