The Alex studies : cognitive and communicative abilities of grey parrots / Irene Maxine Pepperberg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pepperberg, Irene M. (Irene Maxine)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

African gray parrot--Behavior.

African gray parrot.

Cognition in animals.

Animal communication.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (448p. ) ill.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, MA : Harvard University Press, 1999.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

20 years ago Pepperberg set out to discover whether results of pigeon studies necessarily meant that other birds were incapable of mastering cognitive concepts and the rudiments of referential speech. This is a synthesis of her studies.

Can a parrot understand complex concepts and mean what is says? Since the early s, most studies on animal-human communication have focused on great apes and a few cetacean species. Birds were rarely used in similar studies on the grounds that they were merely talented mimics -that they were, after all, "birdbrains". Experiments performed primarily on pigeons in Skinner boxes demonstrated capacities inferior to those of mammals; these results were thought to reflect the capacities of all birds, despite evidence suggesting that species such a s jays, crows, and parrots might be capable of more impressive cognitive feats.;Twenty years ago Irene Pepperberg set out to discover whether the results of the pigeon studies necessarily meant that other birds -particularly the large-brained, highly social parrots - were incapable of mastering complex cognitive concepts and the rudiments of referential speech. her investigation and the bird at its centre - a male Grey parrot named Alex - have since become almost as well known as their primate equivalents and no less a subject of fierce debate in the field of animal cognition.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

PREFACE

1. Introduction: In Search of King Solomon’s Ring

2. Can We Really Communicate with a Bird?

3. Can a Parrot Learn Referential Use of English Speech?

4. Does a Parrot Have Categorical Concepts?

5. Can a Parrot Learn the Concept of Same/Different?

6. Can a Parrot Respond to the Absence of Information?

7. To What Extent Can a Parrot Understand and Use Numerical Concepts?

8. How Can We Be Sure That Alex Understands the Labels in His Repertoire?

9. Can a Parrot Understand Relative Concepts?

10. What Is the Extent of a Parrot’s Concept of Object Permanence?

11. Can Any Part of a Parrot’s Vocal Behavior Be Classified as ‘‘Intentional’’?

12. Can a Parrot’s Sound Play Assist Its Learning?

13. Can a Parrot’s Sound Play Be Transformed into Meaningful Vocalizations?

14. What Input Is Needed to Teach a Parrot a Human-based Communication Code?

15. How Similar to Human Speech Is That Produced by a Parrot?

16. How Does a Grey Parrot Produce Human Speech Sounds?

17. Conclusion: What Are the Implications of Alex’s Data?

NOTES

REFERENCES

GLOSSARY

CREDITS

INDEX

Notes:

Originally published: 2000.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [347]-408) and index.

ISBN:

9780674041998

0674041992

OCLC:

923111888