Savage Rumbaugh et al Flashcards
What year was the study published?
1986
What was the aim?
To study human language capabilities in pygmy chimpanzees (Bonobos)
IV
Species
DV
System of geometric symbols that brighten when touched.
Participants
2 common chimps for comparison, raised in language using environment
2 pygmy chimpanzees - Kanzi and Mulika, raised in same environment but with access to mother
How many locations was food placed in?
17
How large was the forest?
55 acres
What did kanzi had to do to get food
find the food, travelling, and point at photos to say where he wanted to go next
How long did it take for mulika to travel with kanzis locations?
6 months
What happened if kanzi did not want to eat the food at the location?
He was asked if he wanted to put it in his back pack. If he wanted it he touched his backback
How did they say what they wanted?
Using lexigrams
What was the criteria
Word had to be spontaneous and correct on 9/10 occasions
Results
Between the age of 6 and 16 months they started to spontaneously use symbols to communicate.
Kanzi touched “Ball” then searched for it. When he found it, he slapped it vigourously
How many symbols did kanzi know?
256
Evaluation
Small sample size
Low Ecological Validity
High internal validity
Low population validity
Checked interrater reliability
Kanzi, Makali, Shermann and Austin had to repeat correctly used words
Controlled formal tests
Concurrent validity
Save Rumbugh lost objectivity
