Research Affiliate
James is an interdisciplinary researcher whose work spans the disciplines of Psychology, Anthropology, Archaeology, and Linguistics. He is primarily interested in the relationship between language, mind, and lithic tools, and the consequences of this interaction for hominin evolution.
James completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge in 2025. His thesis ‘Rock, Paper, Aliens’ used an experimental approach to examine the impact of category labels and iconicity on different aspects of non-linguistic cognition, including categorisation, visual discrimination, and working memory. Additionally, two experiments also assess the effects of these linguistic variables on practical tasks including the knapping of flint handaxes. Further work developed a novel methodological approach for understanding lithic manufacture in an experimental setting. Finally, his thesis also explored the consequences of experimental findings for our understanding of the earliest stage of hominin language evolution, with specific reference to early proximate advantages; lexicalisation and the emergence of phonemic form; and a possible transition from signed to verbal communication.
While based in Oxford, James is currently developing several different strands of his PhD work. These include refining his evolutionary anthropological model, publishing further experimental work, and developing an online data-collection protocol to manage the issues presented by human bots. As an advocate for science communication, James widely promotes his work and subject area to both academic and public audiences.
Email: jhs74@cam.ac.uk
Publication: Scott, J., Foley, R., & Bozic, M. (2025). Labelling and iconicity facilitate visual categorisation and discrimination. Language and Cognition, 17, e68. doi:10.1017/langcog.2025.10023
