Ella Williamson
PhD Student
Profile
Biography
I completed a Psychology degree at the University of York in 2018 where I became interested in social communication in domestic dogs, working closely with Katie Slocombe and Alex Benjamin. After I graduated, I obtained a PGCE from the University of Hull in Secondary Education and worked as a Mathematics and Psychology teacher within a Secondary School and Sixth Form for 4 years. Alongside teaching, I worked as a research assistant with Katie Slocombe and Alex Benjamin, working on a human-dog communication project.
Now, I have received funding through the ESRC to study for a PhD which aims to examine socio-cognitive abilities in assistance dogs and aim to assess potential relationships between assistance dog social cognition and success in assistance dog training, in the hope to better understand the cognitive profile of a successful assistance dog. I am also interested in the ontogeny of dog social cognition, dog vocal behaviour and dog sensitivity to human vocal communication in domestic dogs, such as dog-directed speech and language.
Career
- PhD in Psychology, University of York (2024-present)
- MA Social Research, University of York (2023 – 2024)
- Secondary Mathematics and Further Education Psychology Teacher, Hornsea School and Sixth Form (2019-2023)
- SCITT in Secondary Mathematics, Yorkshire and Humber Teacher Training; PGCE in Secondary Education, University of Hull (2018 – 2019)
- BSc in Psychology, University of York (2015-2018)
