BY EHSAN SHAREEF (CTIS/III)
Dr. Kaan Kerman is an instructor in the Department of Psychology at Bilkent University, specializing in animal behavior, comparative psychology and human–animal interactions. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Gazi University, master’s degrees from Hacettepe University and the University of Florida, and his doctorate from the University of Turin. His research examines animal personality, the influence of social and ecological contexts on behavior, and the ways humans perceive and relate to non-human animals. He leads Bilkent’s Animal Behavior and Human–Animal Interactions Research Group, whose work connects ethology, psychology and social cognition.
Why did you choose an academic career?
It may sound a bit cliché, but it was more like my academic career chose me instead. I have always been fascinated by animals, what goes on in their minds, and how they behave. This passion of mine, as you can imagine, does not translate particularly well to industry, nor does it have many practical applications. For that reason, I decided to stay in academia to pursue my passion, share it with young minds, and get paid for it as well.
What subject do you most enjoy teaching, and why?
I would say the elective courses that align with my research interests — which is probably the expected response from any academic. Nowadays, these include Mind in Evolution and Animal Behavior. Even though I also enjoy the engagement I receive in broader courses, such as Introduction to Psychology, being able to dive deeper into my area of expertise with students who share similar interests is particularly rewarding.
What projects are you working on currently?
My lab takes quite an eclectic approach to research topics, but I would say our most recent projects revolve around companion animal behavior (dogs and cats), human–animal interactions, and comparative perspectives on human psychological traits. For example, right now we are looking at how dependent humans are relative to other mammals, factors that influence how humans perceive animal minds, overimitation in dogs, and cat-naming practices across cultures.
What excites you about your work, and what is the coolest thing about it?
Studying animals themselves. Many people are fascinated by the idea of aliens and extraterrestrial civilizations visiting our planet, perhaps because of the possibility of encountering minds and ways of life very different from our own. To me, though, non-human animals are just as mysterious and fascinating, and they are already here, all around us. They are related to us, we share an evolutionary history with them, and yet they have their own minds and ways of behaving that are similar to ours in some respects but very different in others. I also think the fact that I have studied insects, birds, mammals and humans using the same set of scientific tools is a pretty cool thing to talk about at parties.
What’s your best work?
It is quite challenging to judge the quality of your own work. After all, they are all your babies! Nevertheless, I would say that our research on how cats respond to their owners depending on the owners’ gender has received the most attention from both national and international media. In that sense, it has probably been our most widely recognized work.
What’s the most common misconception about your work?
Oh, there are several. But I think I should mention the most damaging one, which is particularly prevalent in Türkiye: the notion that conducting experiments with animals necessarily involves invasive and bloody laboratory procedures, such as cutting, injecting or dissecting them. In reality, much of the research on animal minds and cognition relies on non-invasive methods that do not harm the animals or compromise their bodily integrity. This misconception is so damaging that we sometimes lose potential participants (e.g., pet guardians) who have the preconceived notion that experiments necessarily involve pain and suffering. I think it is important to change this perception and help people understand that studying animal behavior and cognition does not necessarily come at the expense of animal welfare.
What has been the most exciting moment of your career so far? Could you share a turning point or defining moment in your career?
I would say being interviewed by the BBC about our research paper was quite an exciting experience for me personally. As for a defining moment, I think receiving an offer from a faculty member abroad to pursue my graduate studies was a major turning point in my career. It pains me to say this, but studying animal behavior and cognition is still a relatively unknown field in Türkiye, even among academics. Going abroad greatly broadened my horizons and gave me the opportunity to pursue my interests in an academic environment dedicated to this field.
What’s one piece of information from your field that you think everyone should know?
That animals have minds of their own, and that these minds are not as different from ours as we might think. Over the last few decades, research on non-human animals has increasingly challenged the idea of human uniqueness and traditional models of cognition that are rooted in anthropocentric and speciesist assumptions.
If you weren’t an academic, what career would you choose?
Okay, these might sound just as crazy as an academic career, but I would probably be a pet sitter, a park ranger, a sci-fi writer, or an archaeologist/historian.
If you had unlimited funds, what would you like to do research on?
Such a great question. I think I would invest heavily in developing miniature, portable fMRI machines suitable for a wide range of animal species, so that we could study their brain activity in their natural habitats. Imagine being able to investigate what goes on in the brains of animals as they go about their everyday lives!
What do you like most about being at Bilkent?
We all know that Bilkent is a scientifically productive institution, so I would like to emphasize something else. I think what I appreciate most about Bilkent is its open-minded and intellectually diverse environment, where people can freely express different opinions without necessarily turning disagreements into conflicts. I see this particularly in classroom discussions, student engagement, and the activities of student clubs and societies.
What do you like to do when you are not working?
I have a long list of hobbies, including 3D printing figures and animals, birdwatching, reading about a wide variety of topics (particularly history), reading science fiction novels, ship model building, visiting natural and archaeological sites, and gaming.
Which books have influenced you the most, and why?
Academically, I would say Richard Dawkins’ “The Selfish Gene” and Christopher John Barnard’s textbook “Animal Behaviour.” “The Selfish Gene,” although I no longer agree with some of its arguments, was my first introduction to how evolutionary models can be used to understand the origins of mental processes. Chris Barnard’s book was my first introduction to the scientific study of animal behavior and made me realize that this is a rich field with a long history. Together, these two books played an important role in shaping my scientific interests and ultimately the direction of my academic career.
What is the secret to leading a happy life?
This is a difficult question, but I guess the most important principles that work for me are to be passionate about at least one thing in life, be part of a community of like-minded people, and do your best not to worry too much about small, everyday stressors.
If you could go back to your undergraduate/graduate student years, what advice would you give to your younger self? What is one piece of advice you wish every Bilkent student would truly follow?
I would probably tell my younger self not to worry too much about the future. Things have a way of working themselves out eventually, even if they don’t always go according to plan. Losing your focus from time to time, feeling like you are falling behind, or taking a different path than you originally intended doesn’t really matter that much in the long run. Looking back, many of the things that seemed like major setbacks at the time turned out to be relatively insignificant. I think this advice is more relevant to students today than ever before.
Can you share a student interaction that has stayed with you over the years?
It is not a single interaction, but something I have heard several times over the years. Some students have told me that they decided to pursue an academic career after taking one of my courses, while others have said that my classes helped them realize that psychology and related disciplines are just as scientific as any other field. Hearing these things is probably one of the most rewarding aspects of being an academic, as it makes me feel that I have made a meaningful difference in how students see the world and their own futures.
