Mike Dacey

Mike Dacey is Associate Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Bates College, specializing in philosophy of psychology and cognitive science. His research examines methodological challenges in studying animal cognition and unconscious mental processes. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis.

Research focuses on animal cognition, anthropomorphism, associationism, and modeling mental processes. His book Seven Challenges for the Science of Animal Minds (2025) addresses key methodological issues in comparative psychology. Dacey argues for holistic evaluation of evidence when drawing conclusions about non-human minds.