Gardner X2 - Teaching sign language to a chimpanzee

Question 0

Aim

Answer 0

They aimed to teach a chimp to communicate using American Sign Language (ASL). Their intention was to raise a chimp in the same way that a child would so that he would accept sign language naturally.

Question 1

Context

Answer 1

Noam Chomsky - Argued that humans have a special part of their brain that means we are biologically ‘programmed’ to learn language.

Hayes x2 - Worked with a chimp called Vicki, she could only make four words that were approximated to the words Mama, Papa, Cup and Up

Premack x2 - Taught a chimp to use coloured chips to represent words and the chimp arranged them to make sentences.

Bryan - reports that the vocal apparatus of a chimp is very different to that of a human.

Yerkes - Noted that lab chimps are capable of developing begging and similar behaviours.

Question 2

Procedures

Answer 2

Washoe was caught at around 8-14 months. It was reasoned that she would be likely to learn language if she was raised like a child so she was in contact with a handler at all times when she was awake. They used methods such as:
Imitation - Making washoe imitate specific signs which are met with a reward.
Prompting - If Washoe was using signs poorly or incorrectly she would be prompted to the right sign.
Using Signs - Objects and games would be referenced to by signing
Babbling - Repeating poor signing and then linking it to real signs.
Conditioning - Using rewards to increase the likelihood of behaviour being repeated.
Shaping - Rewarding washoe for closer and closer signing to the real sign
Direct tuition - Moving Washoe’s hands into the correct positions

Question 3

Findings

Answer 3

For a sign to be counted 3 different observers had to see the sign spontaneously and appropriately. The sign had to be recorded everyday over a 15 day period.

At the end of the study (21 months) washoe could use 30 signs.

Resembled a child in 3 ways:
1. Used the word flower for a smell but was then taught the correct word for smell and could then differentiate.

2. Could use signs to recognise different types of flowers or a dog barking not just seeing the dog.
3. Could combine signs top form sentences.

Question 4

Conclusions

Answer 4

Not clear whether it was language or not.
The study did show that Chimpanzees could learn more than just a few words.
ASL is a suitable language for chimps
More signs could be accomplished.

Question 5

Methodology

Answer 5

Case study
Good reliability as clear and specific criteria where set out
There may have been some observer bias (lowers validity)
Abilities could have been no more than a response to cues.
May not have been ethical.

Question 6

Alternative evidence

Answer 6

Gardner x2 - Went on to cross foster 3 chimps Moja, Tatu and Dar. All 3 were newborns and their arrival was staggered so they would grow up like siblings and provide companionship and role models for one another.
Aimed to use sign language as a means of dialogue rather than to make requests.
“It would be reasonable to assume chimps do have the capacity to develop language”

Loulis - Washoe was given an adoptive son Loulis and no researchers would sign to him so that he would have to learn language from other chimps. He learnt more than 50 signs just by watching other chimps

Eliza - Weizenbaum created a computer program called ELIZA as a psychotherapist. Expert judges could not always tell the difference between ELIZA and a real psychotherapist. This suggest that there is a difference between being able to produce and understand language.