My research focuses on the study of social phenomena such as cooperation, competition, conflict management strategies and on those cognitive mechanisms that underlie their emergence and diffusion (partner choice, the role of emotions, planning, learning skills). Those topics are mainly addressed through a comparative and evolutionary perspective, analysing the social behavior of both human subjects and non-human primates. My research work combines traditionally separate methods and levels of study, such as observations of spontaneous social behavior, laboratory and field-controlled experiments, analysis of social networks.The interdisciplinary approach that characterizes my research brought me to join the European Commission Joint Research Center (2013-2016) to support policy making activity by applying insights from behavioural economics and social psychology to promote behavioral change in policy-relevant fileds such as health, consumer protection and environmental sustainability.
