Shereen Chang (University of Pennsylvania)
What is the significance of learning conditions for inferences about cognition in general? Consider the case of Alex the grey parrot, who was trained by researcher Irene Pepperberg to use English words in their appropriate contexts. When presented with an array of different objects, Alex could vocalize in English the correct answers to questions such as “How many green blocks?” He could compare two objects and vocalize how they were similar or different (e.g., “color”). In short, Alex could communicate meaningfully using English words.
Alex learned to communicate with English words via various training methods that emphasized social context and interaction. To introduce new words to the parrot, Pepperberg primarily used a Model/Rival technique in which two human trainers demonstrate the reference and functionality of target words, while providing social interaction. After Alex attempted to vocalize a new word in the presence of the referent object, trainers would repeat the word in different sentences to clarify its pronunciation, reminiscent of how human parents talk to young children. Alex also engaged in self-directed learning; he learned the word “grey” after seeing his reflection in the mirror and asking his trainers, “What color?” Thus, a parrot acquired parts of the English language through techniques similar to how humans learn to speak English. On my analysis, there are four key conditions for the acquisition of such communication skills.
How do we make sense of the similarities between the ways in which a parrot and a human child learn to speak? Since a parrot was able to acquire the meaningful use of words in English, a human-based communication code, it seems that parrots can learn communication codes other than those of their own species. If parrots have a general ability to learn communication codes, then either the conditions under which they learn words in English is specific to learning human-based communication codes or they are more general features of learning communication codes. I present reasons to rule out the former and argue that the conditions under which Pepperberg’s parrots learned English are likely to be more general features of learning communication codes.
From research in cross-species communicative behaviour, where an individual learns how to communicate using the communication code of another species, we can learn about the relevance of particular learning conditions more generally. By studying how parrots learn to communicate using a human language such as English, for example, we can shed light on more general aspects of how we learn to communicate. In this way, we can garner special insight on the nature of social cognition, the acquisition of communication skills, and our cognitive evolution in general.
