Hoi-Lam Jim

Program-Specific Assistant Professor

Specialty field：Comparative cognitive science, Animal behaviour, Comparative psychology, Ethology

I study animal behaviour and cognition as a means of understanding the evolutionary origins of human social behaviour, and I am particularly interested in social cognition and cooperation. My research focuses on this across multiple group-living cooperative species, including elephants, dogs, and wolves, with the aim of shedding light on the cognitive foundations that underpin human society and what makes us uniquely human.

E-Mail: jim.hoilam.6k*kyoto-u.ac.jp
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Biography

2026
Program-Specific Assistant Professor, Kyoto University Institute for the Future of Human Society
2025
Program-Specific Researcher, Kyoto University Institute for the Future of Human Society
2023
JSPS International Research Fellow, Kyoto University Institute for the Future of Human Society
2022
Ph.D. in Comparative Cognitive Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
2016
M.Sc. in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter
2014
B.Sc. in Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London

Books/Papers

Papers
Jim, H.-L., Yamamoto, S., Bansiddhi, P., & Plotnik, J.M. (2025). Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) recognise human visual attention from face and body orientation. Scientific Reports, 15, 32623.
Papers
Jim, H.-L., Belfiore, K., Martinelli, E.B., Martínez, M., Range, F., & Marshall-Pescini, S. (2025). Do dogs form reputations of humans? No effect of age after indirect and direct experience in a food-giving situation. Animal Cognition, 28, 51.
Papers
Kinsman, R.H.*, Jim, H.-L.*, Casey, R.A., Ruiz-Izaguirre, E., Owczarczak-Garstecka, S., Cooper, B., Tasker, S., & Murray, J. K. (2024). Puppy Socialisation Experiences in Relation to Age and COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions in the UK and ROI. Animals, 14(10), 1471. (*Joint first authors)
Papers
ManyDogs Project, Espinosa, J., Stevens, J.R., Alberghina, D., Alway, H.E.E., Barela, J.D., Bogese, M., Bray, E.E., Buchsbaum, D. Byosiere, S.-E., Byrne, M., Cavalli, C.M., Chaudoir, L.M., Collins-Pisano, C., DeBoer, H.J., Douglas L.E.L.C., Dror, S., Dzik, M.V., Ferguson, B., Fisher, L., Fitzpatrick, H.C., Freeman, M.S., Frinton, S.N., Glover, M.K., Gnanadesikan, G.E., Goacher, J.E.P., Golańska, M., Guran, C.-N.A., Hare, E., Hare, B. Hickey, M., Horschler, D.J., Huber, L., Jim, H.-L., Johnston, A.M., Kaminski, J., Kelly, D.M., Kuhlmeier, V.A., Lassiter, L., Lazarowski, L., Leighton-Birch, J., MacLean, E.L., Maliszewska, K., Marra, V., Montgomery, L.I., Murray, M.S., Nelson, E.K., Ostojić, L., Palermo, S.G., Parks Russell, A.E., Pelgrim, M.H., Pellowe, S.D., Reinholz, A., Rial, L.A., Richards, E.M., Ross, M.A., Rothkoff, L.G., Salomons, H., Sanger, J.K., Santos, L., Shirle, A.R., Shearer, S.J., Silver, Z.A., Silverman, J.M., Sommese, A., Srdoc, T., St. John-Mosse, H., Vega, A.C., Vékony, K., Völter, C.J., Walsh C.J., Worth, Y.A., Zipperling, L.M.I., Żołędziewska, B., & Zylberfuden, S.G. (2023). ManyDogs 1: A Multi-Lab Replication Study of Dogs’ Pointing Comprehension. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 10(3), 232–286.
Papers
Jim, H.-L., Plohovich, M., Marshall-Pescini, S., & Range, F. (2021). Investigating indirect and direct reputation formation in dogs and wolves. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, 43(43). https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2r46d5hn
Papers
Jim, H.-L., Range, F., Marshall-Pescini, S., Dale, R., & Plotnik, J.M. (2021). Investigating indirect and direct reputation formation in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 3480.
Papers
Jim, H.-L., Marshall-Pescini, S., & Range, F. (2020). Do dogs eavesdrop on human interactions in a helping situation? PLOS ONE, 15(8), e0237373.
Papers
Piotti, P., Spooner, R.M., Jim, H.-L., & Kaminski, J. (2017). Who to ask for help? Do dogs form an opinion on humans based on skilfulness? Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 195, 93–102.