Pepperberg(Parrot) Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the aim of this study?

A

To see whether a parrot could use vocal labels to demonstrate a symbolic understanding of the concepts same and different

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2
Q

What is symbolic representation?

A

When the concept of sameness or difference learned from one experience can be applied to an entirely new and different situation

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3
Q

What method and design of this study?

A

It was an animal case study involving one subject who was trained and tested over a couple of years

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4
Q

Who was the subject of this case study?

A

An African Grey Parrot named Alex

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5
Q

Before this study Alex had been what?

A

He was a test subject in other research on communication and cognition for
around ten years

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6
Q

When he wasn’t being studied, how was Alex treated?

A

He had free access to the whole laboratory and was confined in a wire cage at night. He was fed a diet suitable for his species and given toys to play with

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7
Q

How many times a week was Alex trained/studied?

A

Two to four times a week

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8
Q

How long did each session last?

A

Five minutes and one hour

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9
Q

Alex participated in other studies besides this one, true or false?

A

True

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10
Q

What training method was used on Alex in this study?

A

Model/rival or M/R approach

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11
Q

One human in Model/rival approach acts as trainer, what does he do?

A

Acts as trainer to the second human by presenting the second with objects, then asking questions about the objects and offering reward or praise to
desirable responses

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12
Q

The second human/learner in M/R approach acts as a what to the parrot?

A

A model

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13
Q

What does the second human or learner is seen as what by the parrot?

A

A rival and competes for the trainer’s attention

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14
Q

The roles of the M/R did what?

A

Reverse

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15
Q

In the study a system of continuous reinforcement was used, what is it?

A

When a learner receives a reward for a desirable behaviour it could one of several rewards that have already been scheduled will be used

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16
Q

During training on same/different, the trainer would ask the model what type of questions?

A

“What’s the same” or “What’s different”

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17
Q

If the learner responded with the right category label what would happen?

A

He would be rewarded by being given the object

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18
Q

If the learner responded with the wrong category label what would happen?

A

He would be scolded and have the object taken away

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19
Q

Prior to this study what labels did Alex already know?

A

The labels of color and shape

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20
Q

The secondary trainers who tested Alex were what?

A

People who hadn’t previously worked with him

21
Q

How were the materials paired?

A

From a selection given to a student who had nothing to do with the study

22
Q

The process of pairing the materials made this study what?

A

Unbiased

23
Q

The set of questions used in each trial were what?

A

Randomly ordered

24
Q

What type of questions were used in order to prevent boredom?

A

“What color, How many, and What shape?”

25
Q

The two objects presented to Alex in each trial were what?

A

Different in one of three categories: shape, color, material

26
Q

Regarding the objects what two trials were there?

A

Familiar items(Familiar trial) or one or both items that were new to Alex(novel trials)

27
Q

In each trial what was the principal trainer doing?

A

He was sat facing away from Alex and could not see the objects being presented to him

28
Q

If Alex’s response was correct what happened?

A

He was rewarded with praise and given the items

29
Q

When recording data if Alex go the response right the first time, what would it be considered?

A

It would count towards the first trial response rate data

30
Q

What would happen if Alex’s response was incorrect?

A

He was told “no” and the object was removed while the trainer turned their head away from Alex(known as a timeout). They would do this until correct response was given.

31
Q

During all of Alex’s trials what was the data

A

He correctly responded 99/129 trials(76.6%), this was both first trial responses and those that needed correcting

32
Q

What were Alex’s ‘first trial only’ results involving familiar objects

A

69/99 or (69.7%)

33
Q

What was the purpose of using novel objects in certain trials?

A

To measure the extent to which Alex could generalize his understanding and communication around the concepts of ‘same’ and ‘different’ to entirely new situations

34
Q

On ‘all trials’ involving novel objects what were the findings?

A

He scored 96/113 or 85%

35
Q

On ‘first trial only’ involving novel objects what were the findings?

A

79/96 or 82.3%

36
Q

The researchers suggest Alex performed better on novel trials compared to familiar object trials because?

A

He was motivated to get the object as a reward as he was curious

37
Q

The main conclusion of this study is what?

A

That parrots have the potential to demonstrate comprehension of the symbolic concepts of same and different

38
Q

What is another conclusion that was found in this study?

A

That parrots can learn to respond to verbal questions to vocalize categorical labels

39
Q

What is another conclusion that was found in this study?

A

That parrots can learn to respond to verbal questions to vocalize categorical labels

40
Q

How is the sample a weakness of this study?

A

Only involves one male African Grey Parrot, makes it difficult to generalize

41
Q

Alex being a trained laboratory animal is a weakness in what way?

A

He can’t represent the population as a whole

42
Q

How is Alex becoming bored during the study a weakness?

A

He would harm himself

43
Q

A strength of this study is validity, in what ways was it maintained and improved?

A

The question order and material were selected by a student who had nothing to do with the study. The trainer conducting the trials had no previous connection to Alex

44
Q

Alex being unfamiliar with the people conducting the study meant what?

A

That researcher bias was limited and Alex wouldn’t respond or show demand characteristics

45
Q

Quantitative data was collected how is this a strength?

A

An objective analysis was capable of being made on whether or not Alex understood the concepts

46
Q

Collecting quantitative data 2 seperate types trials meant that researchers could do what?

A

They could compare both the novel familiar ones

47
Q

Was Alex well treated and not physically harmed?

A

yes

48
Q

What may be consider unethical about using this species in a study?

A

Unethical