export_lecture 2 language reference meaning

Question 1

How did Helen Keller learn language?

Answer 1

She learnt it via finger-spelling of words onto her hand. She learnt water by having the word spelt and then the feeling of water.

Question 2

The significance of Seyforth’s (1980) Vervet Monkeys?

Answer 2

They have 3 acoustically distinct calls for specific behavioural responses to certain predators

Question 3

What are the 2 core components of language?

Answer 3

Word Meaning (symbolic reference) & Syntax (rules for combining words into sentences)

Question 4

What is paralanguage?

Answer 4

Non-lexical component of communication. Laughter, facial expressions, tone of voice (prosody) and gesture

Question 5

What is it to reference? What are Pierce’s 3 Modes of Reference?

Answer 5

• Reference: how one thing (a sign) brings to mind another thing (the signified)
• Iconic reference: based on a physical similarity between the sign and what it signifies (eg. a painting)
• Indexical reference : based on a physical or temporal correlation between a sign and what it signifies (eg. smoke indicates fire)
  Symbolic reference - based on some formal or agreed upon link (social convention) . The symbolic layer depends on prior establishment of lower layers.

Question 6

Explain how we achieve Symbolic Learning: (ie. start by recognizing iconic forms and symbol-object correlations, then we…

Answer 6

Recognizing iconic forms and symbol-object correlations, learn indexical relationships to establish the link between a word and its referent, learn symbolic meaning understanding the relationship that a symbol has to other symbols within a system

Question 7

Findings on Nim Chimpsky? (Terrace et al, 1979)

Answer 7

Trie to teach Nim Chimpsky symbolic sign language but the vast majority of Nim his communications were from being prompted only

Question 8

Sue Savage-Rumbaugh and Symbolic Learning: what did she initially do?

Answer 8

• focused on comprehension and symbolic reference
• used lexigrams: taught the names of objects by association, but chimps paid too much attention to the rewards following the symbol, not object-symbol relationship.
• when changed to a request task, symbol-object pairings came easily but Sherman and Austin were still anticipating their reward only.

Question 9

What was SS-R’s Fading Technique?

Answer 9

Decrease the size of the requested food given on each successful trial while providing another reward as well. This gradually decoupled name from the presence of the object. S & A could refer to an object correctly without expecting to receive it.

Question 10

What was SS-R’s Hiding Task? and the Requester-Responder Task?

Answer 10

• made to teach S & A to communicate symbolically with each other about an object that was not visible.
• SS-R would enter with a food item hiddem, would press matching lexigram, chimps then had to press it to receive the hidden food. This was extended to the chimps telling each other what was in the container.
• This shows the chimps were repsenting knowledge of another; theory of mind??
• in Requester-Responder task, a chimp had to request tools off the other to open food boxes.

Question 11

Skinner’s Pigeons and his critique of SS-R?

Answer 11

• 2 pigeons (Jack & Jill) communicate about the colour of an illuminated light that is out of sight of one of them to get a food reward.
• Skinner argued this was equivalent, and that no symbolic understanding was demonstrated.

Question 12

What are the key differences of SS-R’s Chimps and Skinner’s Pigeons?

Answer 12

• Chimps behaviour was displayed on the first trial on the basis of preceding work done to establish components of true communication
• The pigeons were taught each step in a sequence & were not required to be aware of what the other was doing

Question 13

Kanzi the Bonobo & Symbolic Learning?

Answer 13

• learned symbols through observation of his mother’s lessons, without formal instruction
• first ape to show receptive oral language ability
• understands spoken English

Question 14

EXAM Q2: In her studies of primate language abilities, Sue Savage-Rumbaugh initially trained 2 chimps named Austin & Sherman to associate visual lexigrams with objects. The chimps were rewarded with juice or sweets for correct object-symbol responses. However, once there were more than 2 objects to be named the chimps would become confused and were unable to respond accurately. This finding indicates:

Answer 14

The chimps tended to focus on the rewards inherent in the task rather than on the relationship between the lexigrams and their referents

Question 15

Symbolic reference is distinguished from other modes of reference because it is based on:

Answer 15

A socially defined relationship between the sign and the thing signified

Question 16

Vervet monkeys alert the troup to the presence of different kinds of predators using a system of alarm calls. There are 3 distinct calls; one referencing the presence of a snake, one referencing the presence of a leopard, and one referencing the presence of an eagle. What supports the view that this system of alarm calls is linguistic?

Answer 16

Alarm calls index the presence of a threat - the mode of reference is indexical

Question 17

B.F. Skinner trained 2 pigeons, Jack & Jill, to perform a sequence of behaviours that gave the appearance of symbol used to convey meaning. Skinner argued that the behaviour of his pigeons was equivalent to Sherman & Austin’s performance on the hidden food task. Which of the following observations speaks against Skinner’s conclusion?

Answer 17

Sherman and Austin named the hidden food on the first trial based on their prior learning of naming and requesting