Term
| What are the four concepts of language? |
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Definition
1. Composed of discrete units
2. Semanticity
3. Displacement
4. Productivity |
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Term
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Definition
| This concept states that language is composed of separate and individual units. |
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Term
| What is semanticity? Give an example in animals. |
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Definition
This concept allows for the transfer of information since each word has a different meaning.
Bee's use specific dance moves to communicate different directions to a pollen site.
Birds name their babies. |
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Term
| What is displacement? Give an example in animals. |
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Definition
This concept allows for communication about things that are displaced in space or time.
Washoe the chimp asking where her dead baby was.
Replaying of dolphin sound.
Elephants hearing with their feet. |
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Term
| What is productivity? Give an example in animals. |
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Definition
This concept is structured according to the rules of grammar or syntax. It allows for the creation of an almost infinite number of sentences.
Humpback whales have extremely complicated 'conversations'
Dogs and chimps can correctly respond to commands that depend on the structure of the sentence. |
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Term
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Definition
| The chimp vocal tract is very different than ours so it is difficult for them to reproduce human language. |
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Term
| What did Washoe do with Loulis? |
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Definition
| She taught him 22 signs, the first one being observed just seven days after he was introduced to her. |
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Term
| What have been some observed contexts of signing? |
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Definition
| This has been observed to human researcher, chimp to chimp, private signing, imaginary play. |
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Term
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Definition
| A picture symbol that represents a word, but is not necessarily visually representative of the object referenced by the word. |
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Term
| Do apes signing and lexigram skills meet the discrete units requirement of language? |
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Definition
| Yes, apes use specific gestures or symbols to represent words. |
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Term
| Do apes signing and lexigram skills meet the semanticity requirement of language? |
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Definition
| Yes, apes refer to things that are out of sight. |
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Term
| Do apes signing and lexigram skills meet the displacement requirement of language? |
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Definition
| Yes, apes (at least Washoe and Kanzi specifically) understood what is told to them. |
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Term
| Do apes and monkeys signing and lexigram skills meet the productivity requirement of language? |
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Definition
| A debate remains over whether or not apes are able to master grammar. |
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Term
| Give an example of sentence comprehension. |
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Definition
| Kanzi was able to specifically respond to syntax structure of sentences. |
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Term
| Give an example of sentence production. |
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Definition
| Washoe was able to create appropriate novel sentences like "Baby in my drink" |
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Term
| What are the three alternative explanations of Washoe and Kanzi's observed instances of productivity? |
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Definition
1. Heard sentences could only mean one thing given the words contained.
2. Spoken sentences could be a result of learning that a string of particular words could lead to a reward.
3. Unintentional cues by trainers. |
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Term
| What are some reasons for skepticism of apes have productive language ability? |
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Definition
1. There is little change in utterance length over time
2. Most utterances are requests
3. Long utterances are typically repetitive |
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Term
| Are parrots' names learned or genetic? |
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Definition
| This species acquire their names by mimicking. |
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Term
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Definition
| The cognitive ability where a new concept or word can be learned by a single exposure to to a given unit of information--learning by inference |
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Term
| How many words (on average) do humans have by the time they graduate high school? |
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Definition
| At this age, they have 60,000 words. |
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Term
| Give an example of fast mapping. |
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Definition
| Rico the dog being able to infer and retrieve new objects is an example. |
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Term
| What is bone conducting hearing? |
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Definition
| A type of hearing (displayed in elephants) that allows them to 'hear' deep vibrations through their feet. |
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