SAVAGE-RUMBAUGH

SAVAGE-RUMBAUGH

1. PYGMY:

   • Kanzi
     • 4.
   • Mulika
     • 3.
   • Why.
     • Differ in social communication, eye contact gestures and vocalisation.
     • Males participate in infant care.

2. COMMON.

   • Austin
     • 9.
   • Sherman.
     • 10.

3. AIM:

   • Understand the language of 2 pygymy chimps compared with 2 common chimps.
   • Describe the 1st instance in which a non-human species has acquired symbols without specific training towards the goal.

4. STUDY.

   • Longitudinal.
     • 10 year span.
     • Reporting on 17 month period.

5. Experimental design.

   • Quasi.

6. DV: Respective language acquisition.

7. COMMUNICATION SYSTEM.

   • Lexigram.
     • Geometric symbols that brighten when touched.
       • Equivalent of uttering a word.
     • Thought apes couldn't produce human-like vocalisations.
   • Kanzi's board was connected to speech synthesiser so that words were spoken when touched.
   • Gestures were also used.
   • Outdoors:
     • Pointing board for pygymy.
       • Thin laminated panel containing photographs of all the lexigrams.
       • Not used for common chimps: broad hand movements made it difficult to distinguish which symbols they were selecting.

8. REARING ENVIRONMENTS

   • K and M= observation.
   • S and A= training.

9. DATA RECORDING.

   • Correct.
   • Incorrect.
   • Spontaneous
   • Imitated.
   • Structured.

10. VOCABULARY ACQUISITION CRITERIA.

    • Symbol production should appear to be appropriate.
    • Word should occur spontaneously on 9/10 occasions. Followed by demonstrations of concordance on 9/10 additional occurrences.

11. CONTROLS.

    • Strict vocal acquisition criteria.
    • Analysis of 4.5 hours videotape in which real time coding was checked.
    • 100% agreement over lexigrams K used and whether or nor they were correct or incorrect.
    • 9 utterances noted on videotape, not seen by real-time observers.
    • Score done independently by 2 different observers.

12. FORMAL TESTS OF ABILITY TO PRODUCE AND RECEIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    • K and M tested in everyday situations.
    • Tasks not associated with rewards.
    • End of 17m period, tested on all items in vocal.
    • Tests control measure to confirm usage was not being cued by settings or those involved.

13. USE OF GESTURES.

    • 6-16 months K and M spontaneously began to use gestures to communicate preferred directions of travel and actions they wished to have performed.
    • Similar gestures where observed in S and A when they were older.
    • K and M's gestures often more explicit.

14. SUMMARY OF 4 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CHIMPS:

    • 1.K and M comprehended lexigrams with far more ease and more spontaneously.
    • 2.K and M comprehend spoken english words.
    • 3.K and M used lexigrams far more specifically.
    • K and M were able to refer to requests involving others.