Lizzie Speechley

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Lizzie Speechley

Dr, Miss

 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0690-955X

  • The University of Western Australia (M514), 35 Stirling Highway,

    6009 Perth

    Australia

  • The University of Western Australia (M092), 35 Stirling Highway,

    6009 Perth

    Australia

Calculated based on number of publications stored in Pure and citations from Scopus

Personal profile

Research interests

Current Research 

Despite many years of control programs, there has not been a successful reduction in feral cat populations in Australia. Feral cats continue to have a devastating impact on native species: this may be because feral cats do not readily interact with existing control methods. We will use a cognitive approach to determine (a) causes of neophobia to traps and baits in feral cats and (b) strategies to overcome neophobia (using associative learning cues). We will also conduct conditioned taste aversion trials to determine whether feral cats can be trained to avoid critically endangered species in landscapes where feral cat elimination is currently not feasible. Our overall aim is to increase the effectiveness of feral cat control in Australia.

Previous Research

Sociality has long been proposed as a key factor driving the evolution and development of cognition. Although the effect of sociality on cognition has garnered much empirical attention over the past century (formalised as the Social Intelligence Hypothesis, SIH), detailed evidence for the relationship (including an analysis of accumulated evidence) is lacking. In my thesis, I determine whether there is general support for a relationship between the social environment and cognition via a systematic literature search followed by several meta-analyses to identify both general trends and important knowledge gaps in our understanding of the sociality-cognition relationship. In my subsequent chapters I empirically explore how the social demands of group living are related to cognitive performance in Western Australian (WA) magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis).

Collectively, my thesis provides a quantitative analysis of existing evidence for the SIH. It also provides an in-depth investigation into what aspects of the social environment influence cognition and explores the relationship between informational demands (represented by different social network types) and cognitive performance in both early life and adulthood. My thesis highlights the pivotal role that the social environment plays in cognitive performance. I repeatedly find that social interactions provide greater insight into this relationship than group size, namely the hitherto unrecognised role of aggressive interactions. My findings highlight a complex link between social interactions and cognition by building on the basic relationship between group size and cognition to provide more detailed insight into what aspects of social life influence cognition.

Teaching

Throughout my PhD I have developed a love of teaching and thoroughly enjoy inspiring the next generation of scientists.During my PhD I obtained my Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching and was recognised for my work by being awarded with a Higher Education Academy Fellowship. My current research interest is aimed at improved equity and wellbeing for tertiary students. I have also been working as an Arludo Ambassador since 2022, where we use games to teach science to primary and high school students.

 

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 15 - Life on Land

Education/Academic qualification

Teaching, Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching, The University of Western Australia

Award Date: 3 Aug 2022

Zoology, BSc (Honours), Female guppies (Poecilia reticulata) increase their propensity for polyandry as an inbreeding avoidance strategy, The University of Western Australia

Award Date: 28 Jul 2018

Research expertise keywords

  • Wildlife conservation
  • Animal Cognition
  • Animal Behaviour
  • Social Network Analysis
  • Animal Sociality

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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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  • 1 Collaboration on community projects
  • 1 Public outreach/ public event
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