Robert Ian Bowers, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology

 

Office: H334A

Phone: +90 312 290 22 12

E-mail: ribowers@bilkent.edu.tr

 

 

 

 

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Education

• PhD, Indiana University, USA (2015)

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Research

I study behaviour and cognition in specific ecological contexts, notably feeding and mate choice. My research employs a range of methods in several laboratory contexts, including conditioning techniques, cognitive modelling, and simulation of evolutionary processes. Some specific areas of focus include causal reasoning and social influences on mate choice. A general orienting basis for my research is a systems theoretic perspective, behaviour systems theory, which places focus on how multiple behaviours interrelate. Thinking in terms of structured, complex systems helps address questions about complex patterns of behaviour and cognition.

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Representative Publications

Bowers R.I. (2020). Six clarifications for behaviour systems. Behavioural Processes, 170: 103987. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103987

Bowers R.I., Domjan, M., & Killeen, P.K. (2019). William Timberlake’s legacy of innovation. Behavioural Processes, 169: 103991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103991

Bowers, R.I. & Timberlake, W. (2018). Causal reasoning in rats’ behaviour systems. Royal Society Open Science, 5: 171448. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.171448.

Bowers, R.I. (2018). A common heritage of behaviour systems. Behaviour, 155: 415-442. https://doi.org/10.1163/1568539X-00003497

Bowers, R.I. & Timberlake, W. (2017).  Do rats learn conditional independence? Royal Society Open Science, 4: 160994. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160994

Bowers, R.I., Place, S.S., Todd, P.M., Penke, L., & Asendorpf, J.B. (2012). Generalization in mate-choice copying in humans. Behavioral Ecology, 23 (1): 112-124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arr164