Leading by example : an evolutionary perspective on group-decision making

My research focuses on using a question-oriented approach to address a range of issues in behavioural and evolutionary ecology, especially concerning group-living animals (including humans). Blending theoretical modelling and field observations and experiments, I examine how costs and benefits shape individual decisions, and how these behaviours relate to the structure and functioning of groups and populations (or societies in the case of humans).

(1) King, A. J., Narraway, C., Hodgson, L., Weatherill, A., Sommer, V. & Sumner, S. (2011) Performance of human groups in social foraging: the role of communication in consensus decision-making. Biology Letters 7: 237-240.
 
(2) Katsikopoulos, K. & King, A. J. (2010) Swarm intelligence in animal groups: When can a collective out-perform an expert? PLoS ONE 5: e15505
 
(3) King, A. J. (2010) Follow me! I'm a leader if you do; I'm a failed initiator if you don't? Behavioural Processes. 84: 671-674.
 
(4) King, A. J. & Cowlishaw, G. (2009a) Leaders, followers and group decision-making. Communicative & Integrative Biology  2: 147-150.
 
(5) King, A. J. & Cowlishaw, G. (2009b) All together now: behavioural synchrony in baboons. Animal Behaviour 78: 1381-1387

 

 
And the paper above received the following media coverage:
 
Radio Interviews
Good Evening Wales BBC Radio Wales, October 2009.
The World Today BBC World Service, October 2009.
The Today Programme BBC Radio 4, October 2009.

 
Magazine articles
The Economist

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