How do primates interpret and respond to others' intentions by observing their gazes?

• Applicant: Dr. Neda Shahidi
• Subject Area: Cognitive, Systems and Behavioural Neurobiology
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 563110410

Primates rely heavily on visual cues, such as gaze, head, and bodily expressions, to engage in social interactions and infer the intentions of others. This ability enables proactive decision-making in dynamic environments, allowing individuals to anticipate actions rather than simply react. Here, we seek to address key gaps in our understanding of the role of gaze-based communication in value-based decision-making in primates, specifically rhesus macaques, red-fronted Lemurs, and humans, using naturalistic, interactive scenarios. By studying macaques in controlled interactive settings, we will also investigate the roles of the parietal and prefrontal cortices in inferring and acting upon others' intentions. Experiments will involve tracking head, eye, and body movements during tasks where individuals must balance observing others’ gaze with competing demands of a behavioral task. Additionally, we will develop a predictive computational model using gated recurrent neural networks (GRUs) to analyze how gaze cues and social dynamics influence decision-making. This model will also serve as a tool to strengthen collaboration within UGaze, extending its application to other contexts, such as joint attention and gaze dynamics in human interactions. By bridging species and integrating advanced methodologies, we will contribute to UGaze’s goal of understanding the role of complex gaze patterns in social behavior.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 2481: Understanding Gaze