Curriculum Vitae - CPRG

Name: Christian Agrillo, PhD
Date of birth: June 8th 1978, Venice (Italy)
Education
Curriculum Vitae
Current position: Post­Doc Activity at the University of Padova (Italy)
Address: Department of General Psychology, Via Venezia 8, 35131;
Padova (Italy)
Email: christian.agrillo@unipd.it
February 2003: Degree in Experimental Psychology (110/110 cum laude), University of Padova.
Dissertation title: Visual perception of biological motion in chicks. Is there an innate preference?
(Supervisor: Prof. Mario Zanforlin).
March 2003 – September 2003: Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester (UK).
Visiting scientist working on human color perception under the supervision of Prof. Debi Roberson.
July 2004: State Qualified Psychologist Examination (146/150).
October 2005: Diploma in Classical Guitar (9/10), Conservatoire of Music of Venice (Supervisor:
Prof. Florindo Baldissera).
January 2006 ­ December 2006: Professional Course in Evaluation and Family Intervention
(Supervisor: Prof. Mariselda Tessarolo, CFU = 6).
April 2007 – October 2007: Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College of London
(UK). Visiting PhD student working on human numerical competence under the supervision of
Prof. Brian Butterworth.
March 2008: Philosophie Doctor in Psychobiology. Department of General Psychology, University
of Padova. Dissertation title: Numerical competence in animals: the teleost Gambusia holbrooki as
experimental model (Supervisor: Prof. Angelo Bisazza).
Publications
Agrillo C, Dadda M & Bisazza A (2009). Escape behaviour elicited by a visual stimulus. A
comparison between lateralised and non­lateralised female topminnows. Laterality, on­line first,
DOI: 10.1080/13576500802396693.
Agrillo C & Roberson D (2009). Colour language and colour cognition: Brown and Lenneberg
revisited. Visual Cognition, 17(3): 412­430.
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Pisa EP & Agrillo C (2009). Quantity discrimination in felines: a preliminary investigation of the
domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus). Journal of Ethology, 27(2): 289­293.
Agrillo C, Dadda M, Serena G & Bisazza A (2009). Use of number by fish. PloS ONE, 4(3):
e4786, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004786.
Agrillo C & Nelini C (2008). Childfree by choice: a review. Journal of Cultural Geography,
25(3): 347­363.
Agrillo C, Dadda M, Serena G & Bisazza A (2008). Do fish count? Spontaneous discrimination
of quantity in female mosquitofish. Animal Cognition, 11(3): 495­503.
Agrillo C, Dadda M & Serena G (2008). Choice of female groups by male mosquitofish
(Gambusia holbrooki). Ethology, 114(5): 479­488.
Agrillo C (2008). L’evoluzione cerebrale degli ominidi: quando antropologia, paleontologia e
psicologia convergono su una domanda. Antrocom: Online Journal of Anthropology, 4(1): 51­58.
Agrillo C & Dadda M (2007). Discrimination of the larger shoal in the poeciliid fish Girardinus
falcatus. Ethology, Ecology & Evolution, 19(2): 145­157.
Agrillo C & Nelini C (2007). Figli di una società senza tempo: una lettura sociobiologica del
fenomeno childfree. Rivista di Studi Familiari: Famiglia, Interdisciplinarità, Ricerca, 12(1): 124­
136.
Agrillo C, Dadda M & Bisazza A (2007). Quantity discrimination in female mosquitofish.
Animal Cognition, 10: 63­70.
Agrillo C, Dadda M & Bisazza A (2006). Sexual harassment influences group choice in female
mosquitofish. Ethology, 112: 592­598.
Peer reviewed shor t publications or proceedings
Agrillo C, Dadda M, Serena G, Piffer L & Bisazza A (2009). Fish can use numerical information
when discriminating between small discrete quantities. Proceeding of the 31st Annual Meeting of
the Cognitive Science Society (COGSCI 2009), Amsterdam (Netherland), In press.
Agrillo C & Chiandetti C (2009). Why do musicians choke under pressure? State of the art. In:
Roth, R., Hiew, C. & Comunian A.L. (Eds.). Peace, Hope and Well­Being across the Cultures.
Shaker Verlag, Aachen, 156­165.
Agrillo C, Serena G & Dadda M (2009). Numbers without language: the contribution of cultural,
developmental and comparative psychology. In: Roth, R., Hiew, C. & Comunian A.L. (Eds.).
Peace, Hope and Well­Being across the Cultures. Shaker Verlag, Aachen, 202­212.
Agrillo C, Ranpura A & Butterworth B (2008). Time and numerosity estimation are independent:
behavioural evidence on two different systems using a conflict paradigm. Proceedings of the 6th
International Conference on Thinking, San Servolo, Venice (Italy), pp. 118.
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Agrillo C & Roberson D (2007). Colour memory and communication in English speakers: Are
focal colours easier to name and remember? In: Comunian A. L. & Roth R. (EDS): International
Perspectives in Psychology, Shaker Verlag Publishing, Aachen, 79­88.
Agrillo C, Dadda M, Serena G & Bisazza A (2007). Do the math: roots of numerical competence
in fish. Neural Plasticity, 2007: 47­48, doi:10.1155/2007/23250.
Roberson D & Agrillo C (2005). Color language and color cognition: Brown and Lenneberg
Revisited. Proceeding of the 27th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society (COGSCI
2005). Stresa, Italy: pp. 1868­1871.
Agrillo C, Regolin L & Vallortigara G (2004). Can young chicks take into account the observer’s
perspective? Perception, 33 (supplement): 110­111.
Clara E, Agrillo C, Regolin L & Vallortigara G (2003). “Spontaneous preference for symmetrical
stimuli in visually naive chicks”. In: Birgitta Berglund (Ed.), Fechner Day 2003: Proceedings of the
19th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Psychophysics. Cyprus, Greece: International
Society for Psychophysics, pp. 47­52.
Popular Publications (Italian)
Agrillo C (2009). Numeri da pesce. www.acquariofiliaitalia.it, Newsletter Aprile 2009.
Agrillo C (2008). Neuroni e musica: chi dirige l’orchestra? Scienza e Conoscenza, 53: 14­17.
Dadda M & Agrillo C (2008). Le capacità matematiche dei pesci. www.acquariofiliaitalia.it,
Newsletter Ottobre 2008.
Agrillo C (2008). La lateralizzazione cerebrale nel pecilide Girardinus falcatus.
www.acquariofiliaitalia.it, Newsletter Marzo 2008.
Agrillo C (2007). Perchè i musicisti sbagliano in pubblico? Quando la scienza sale sul
palcoscenico. Guitart, 47: 31­33.
Agrillo C (2007). Perchè i musicisti sbagliano in pubblico? La parola ai concertisti. Guitart, 48:
21­24.
Agrillo C (2007). La scienza degli errori. Perchè i concertisti sbagliano in pubblico. Musica, 189:
45­47.
Agrillo C (2007). Un po’ meno attenzione per suonare meglio: la ricerca scientifica sulla
psicologia del concertismo. Il Giornale della Musica, 241: 45.
Agrillo C (2007). Nella mente del concertista. Psicolab, Ottobre: 67­70.
Agrillo C (2007). La paura del pubblico tra i musicisti. Psicolab, Ottobre: 71­76.
Agrillo C (2007). Psicologi e musicisti: due facce, due razze? Psicolab, Ottobre: 77­78.
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Books
Agrillo C (2007). Suonare in pubblico. L’esperienza concertistica e i processi neurocognitivi.
Carocci editore, Roma.
Conferences
Oral presentation:
December 2002: “The X Kanizsa Lecture”, Trieste (Italy). “Visual perception of biological
motion. Is there an innate preference? " Authors: Regolin L, Marconato F, Agrillo C & Vallortigara
G.
November 2005: “The XIII Kanizsa Lecture”, Trieste (Italy). “Numerousness discrimination in
fish: a preliminary investigation in female mosquitofish”. Authors: Agrillo C, Dadda M & Bisazza
A.
December 2005: “Second European Conference of Poeciliid Biologists”, Trondheim (Norway).
“Discrimination of relative numerosity in fish: a preliminary investigation in Gambusia holbrooki”.
Authors: Agrillo C, Dadda M & Bisazza A.
March 2006: “Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour meeting (ASAB)”, Nottingham
(UK). “Numerical competence in fish”. Authors: Agrillo C, Dadda M & Bisazza A.
September 2006: “Convegno nazionale della società italiana di etologia (SIE)”, Erice (Italy).
“Discriminazione di quantità nei pesci”. Authors: Agrillo C, Dadda M & Bisazza A.
January 2007: “Convegno nazionale di studi sulla famiglia: Childfree, liberi da… liberi
per…”, Padova (Italy).“Childfree: figli di una società senza tempo”. Authors:Agrillo C & Nelini C.
February 2007: “Ethological Society Conference: Social Organization and Cognitive Tools.
General Patterns in Vertebrates?”, Grünau (Austria). “Quantity discrimination in fish”. Authors:
Agrillo C, Dadda M & Bisazza A.
March 2008: “Third European Conference of Poeciliid Biologists”, Chioggia (Italy). “Do
mosquitofish show any evidence of being able to count?”. Authors: Agrillo C, Dadda M, Serena G
& Bisazza A.
March 2008: “Third European Conference of Poeciliid Biologists”, Chioggia (Italy).
“Ecological costs of cerebral lateralization”. Authors: Dadda M, Agrillo C, Zandonà E. & Bisazza
A.
September 2008: “Convegno nazionale della società italiana di etologia (SIE)”, Arcavacata di
Rende (Italy). “Numerosità come ultima risorsa? Meccanismi utili zati dal teleosteo Gambusia
hobrooki nella distinzione tra due quantità”. Authors: Agrillo C, Dadda M, Serena G, Bonaldo B &
Bisazza A.
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September 2008: “Convegno nazionale della società italiana di etologia (SIE)”, Arcavacata di
Rende (Italy). “Costi della laterali zazione cerebrale nel teleosteo Girardinus falcatus”. Authors:
Dadda M, Agrillo C, Zandonà E, & Bisazza A.
October 2008: “The XVI Kanizsa Lecture”, Trieste (Italy). “Fish math: do mosquitofish use
numbers as ‘last resort’ when choosing between two quantities?”. Authors: Agrillo C, Dadda M,
Serena G & Bisazza A.
March 2009: “Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour meeting (ASAB)”, Cardiff
(UK). “Ontogeny of numerical competence in guppies”. Authors: Agrillo C, Serena G, Piffer L &
Bisazza A (1 st prize for the best talk presentation).
Poster presentation:
October 2003: “Fechner Day 2003”, Larnaca Bay (Cyprus). “Spontaneous preference for
symmetrical stimuli in visually naive chicks”. Authors: Clara E, Agrillo C, Regolin L & Vallortigara
G.
April 2004: “Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour meeting (ASAB)”, Brighton
(England). “Are chicks sensitive to what the observer can or cannot actually see?”. Authors: Agrillo
C, Regolin L & Vallortigara G.
August 2004: “27th Annual Meeting of the European Conference on Visual Perception
(ECVP)”, Budapest (Hungary). “Can young chicks take into account the observer’s perspective?”.
Authors: Agrillo C, Regolin L & Vallortigara G.
September 2004: “Convegno nazionale della società italiana di etologia (SIE)”, Padova (Italy).
“Chicks’ sensitivity to the visual information accessible to an artificial observer”. Authors: Agrillo
C, Regolin L & Vallortigara G.
September 2004: “Convegno nazionale della società italiana di etologia (SIE)”, Padova (Italy).
“Discriminazione numerica in Gambusia holbrooki”. Authors: Agrillo C, Dadda M & Bisazza A.
December 2004: “The Twelfth Kanizsa Lecture”, Trieste (Italy). “Are chicks sensitive to what
the observer can or cannot actually see?”. Authors: Agrillo C, Regolin L & Vallortigara G.
July 2005: “XXVII Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (CogSci2005)”,
Stresa (Italy). “Color language and color cognition: Brown and Lenneberg revisited”. Authors:
Roberson D & Agrillo C.
December 2005: “Second European Conference of Poeciliid Biologists”, Trondheim (Norway).
“Male sexual harassment influences shoaling preferences in female mosquitofish”. Authors: Agrillo
C, Dadda M & Bisazza A.
July 2006: “5 Th Forum of European Neuroscience (FENS)”, Vienna (Austria). “Discrimination
of relative numerosity in fish”. Authors: Agrillo C, Dadda M & Bisazza A.
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July 2006: “The 64 th International Council of Psychologists Conference”, Kos (Greece).
“Language and cognition in colours: Brown and Lenneberg revisited”. Authors: Roberson D &
Agrillo C. (1 st prize for the Overall Poster Presentation).
September 2006: “Congresso nazionale dell’associazione italiana di psicologia (AIP),
Rovereto (Italy). “Discriminazione spontanea di numerosità relative nei pesci”. Authors: Agrillo C,
Dadda M & Bisazza A.
October 2006: “The Fourteenth Kanizsa Lecture”, Trieste (Italy). “The role of perceptual
features in the quantity discrimination in fish (Gambusia holbrooki)”. Authors: Agrillo C, Dadda
M, Serena G & Bisazza A.
October 2006: “The Fourteenth Kanizsa Lecture”, Trieste (Italy). “Colour language and
colour cognition: easy to name, easy to remember and communicate?”. Authors: Roberson D &
Agrillo C.
August 2007: “The 65 th International Council of Psychologists Conference”, San Diego
(USA). “Psychology of musicians: why do pianist performances degrade under pressure?”.
Authors: Agrillo C & Chiandetti C.
August 2007: “The 65 th International Council of Psychologists Conference”, San Diego
(USA). “Numbers without language: what cultural, developmental and comparative psychology
can teach us about the sense of number shared by humans and animals?”. Authors: Serena G,
Agrillo C & Dadda M.
August 2007: “The 65 th International Council of Psychologists Conference”, San Diego
(USA). “Childfree by choice: a sociobiological interpretation of the phenomenon”. Authors:
Agrillo C & Nelini C.
September 2007: “The 39 th European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting (EBBS)”, Trieste
(Italy). “Do the math: roots of numerical competence in fish”. Authors: Agrillo C, Dadda M, Serena
G & Bisazza A.
January 2008: “XXVI European Workshop on Cognitive Neuroscience”, Bressanone (Italy).
“Do fish count? Spontaneous discrimination of quantity in female mosquitofish”. Authors: Agrillo
C, Dadda M, Serena G & Bisazza A.
March 2008: “Third European Conference of Poeciliid Biologists”, Chioggia (Italy). “Male
preference for female groups in Gambusia holbrooki”. Authors: Serena G, Agrillo C & Dadda M.
July 2008: “The 66 th International Council of Psychologists Conference”, St. Petersburg
(Russia). “Depression among cultures”. Authors: Agrillo D & Agrillo C.
August 2008: “Sixth International Conference on Thinking”, Venice (Italy). “Time and
numerosity estimation are independent: behavioural evidence on two different systems using a
conflict paradigm”. Authors: Agrillo C, Ranpura A & Butterworth B.
September 2008: Congresso nazionale dell’associazione italiana di psicologia (AIP), Padova
(Italy). “Ontogenesi dei giudizi di quantità nei pesci”. Authors: Serena G, Agrillo C, Vinco E &
Bisazza A.
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September 2008: “Convegno nazionale della società italiana di etologia (SIE)”, Arcavacata di
Rende (Italy). “Ontogenesi della discriminazione numerica in Poecilia reticulata”. Authors: Agrillo
C, Serena G & Bisazza A.
September 2008: “Convegno nazionale della società italiana di etologia (SIE)”, Arcavacata di
Rende (Italy). “Laterali zazione cerebrale e comportamento di fuga nel teleosteo Girardinus
falcatus”. Authors: Dadda M, Agrillo C & Bisazza A.
January 2009: “XXVII European Workshop on Cognitive Neuroscience”, Bressanone (Italy).
“Ontogeny of numerical skills in fish suggests separate systems for small and large numbers'
discrimination”. Authors: Piffer L, Serena G, Agrillo C, Bisazza A.
January 2009: “XXVII European Workshop on Cognitive Neuroscience”, Bressanone (Italy).
“Time and numerical estimation do not share a single accumulator: evidence on two independent
systems using a conflict paradigm”. Authors: Agrillo C, Ranpura A & Butterworth B.
Participation to other conferences:
May 2003: “Research Seminar Weekend”, Cumberland Lodge, Windsor (England).
January 2006: “XXIV European Workshop on Cognitive Neuroscience”, Bressanone (Italy).
September 2006: “The Second World Conference: The Future of Science. Evolution of mind”
Venice (Italy).
January 2007: “XXV European Workshop on Cognitive Neuroscience”, Bressanone (Italy).
Main invited seminars
March 2007: “Unità di Primatologia Cognitiva, CNR”, Roma (Italy). Seminar entitled: “Lo
studio delle competenze numeriche nei pesci”.
April 2007: “Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College of London” (UK).
Seminar entitled: “Quantity discrimination in fish”.
May 2007: “Zoological Institute, University of Bern” Bern (Switzerland). Seminar entitled:
“Numerical Competence in fish”.
February 2008: “Neuroscience Cafè”, Trieste (Italy). Seminar entitled: “Why do musician choke
under pressure?”
June 2008: “Udin&Jazz 2008”, Libreria Feltrinelli, Udine (Italy). Seminar entitled: “Nella testa
del ja zista, uno studio/esperimento sul cervello di chi impro visa ”.
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Ad Hoc Referee:
Ethology;
Animal Cognition;
Behavioural Processes;
International Perspectives in Psychology. Shaker Verlag Publishing, Aachen.
Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of Cognitive Science Society (COGSCI 2009).
Awar ds
Academic Year 2002­2003: Winner of Erasmus­Socrates project funding for six month postgraduate
activity at the University of Essex (Colchester, UK).
August 2006: 1 st prize for the overall poster presentation at the 64 th The International Council of
Psychologists Conference, Kos (Greece).
April 2008 – June 2009: Research Grant (3360 £) of the Association for the Study of Animal
Behaviour.
April 2009: 1 st prize for best talk at the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (Easter
meeting), Cardiff (UK).
Professional societies:
January 2006 – present: Member of the Association for the Study of the Animal Behaviour
(ASAB).
October 2006 – present: Member of the Association of the Italian Society of Ethology (SIE).
January 2007 – January 2008: Member of the European Brain and Behaviour Society (EBBS).
May 2007 – October 2007: Honorary Research Assistent of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
(ICN), University College of London (UK).
March 2008 – present: Member of the ‘Associazione Italiana di Psicologia’ (AIP).
June 2008 – present: Member of the Association for Psychological Science (APS).
Main press interviews, articles and br oadcasts on my research:
National Geographic (31/03/09): “Fish Can Count, Study Finds”, by Christine Dell’Amore.
New Scientist (by Ewen Callaway)
BBC natural history online “www.lovehearth.com”(25/02/08): “Fish can count” by Matt Walker.
BBC Radio Scotland (by Jennifer Westbrook)
Rai TG1 (Italian news, by Giovanni Masotti)
The Daily Telegraph (26/02/08): “Fish can count to four but not higher”, by Charles Clover
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The Guardian (26/02/08): “Researchers find fish that can count up to four”, by James Randerson
Daily Mail (26/02/08): “Fish fingers: the goldfish that can count to four”.
CBC (Canadian Radio)
Nova Tv (Czech news, by Adam Halmosi)
Thaindian News (27/02/08): “Fish can count ­ but only up to four”
Mediehuset Nettavisen (04/04/2009): “Se, fisken teller!”, by Niklas Tessem.
Il Corriere della Sera (01/03/08): “Quanto fa 1+1? Il gatto sa rispondere”, by Danilo Mainardi.
Il Giornale (27/2/08): “I pesci sanno contare”, by Nino Materi.
Il Mattino di Padova (27/02/08): “I pesci sanno contare. Fino a quattro”
Il Gazzettino (27/20/08): “Anche i pesci sanno contare: almeno fino a quattro”, by Federica
Cappellato.
Triveneta (Italian TV channel)
Italian Innovation (03/03/08): “Sorpresa: anche i pesci sanno contare”, by Federico Maselli.
Il giornale di Vicenza (28/02/08): “I pesci sanno contare fino a quattro”.
Il Venezia (Italian newspaper)
Radio BCS (Italian Radio)
Radio Due (Italian Radio)
Other pr ofessional activities:
September 2004 ­ June 2005: Department of General Psychology, University of Padova.
Tutorship activities of the Faculty of Psychology.
January ­ December 2006: Research students representative of the PhD school in Psychobiology,
University of Padova.
January 2007 – August 2007: Member of the 2007 In­Absentia Poster Project Committee for
proposals to the 65 th International Council of Psychologists’ Meeting (San Diego, USA).
November 2007­ March 2008: Organizer member of the Third European Conference of Poeciliid
Biologists (Chioggia, Italy).
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