Limited contextual vocal learning in the grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus): The effect of interactive co-viewers on videotaped instruction.

Pepperberg, Irene M.; Gardiner, Lisa I.; Luttrell, Lori J.

doi:10.1037/0735-7036.113.2.158

Cited by 35 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…Seemingly, the dogs did not uncover the ‘trick’, as they did not start to ignore the communicative or signaling attempts of the projected person. In subsequent studies we want to use this technique for investigating the role of direct social interaction in dog‐human communication [for further studies on the nature of primary and secondary mental representations in animals see Pepperberg et al. 1999 (in grey parrots, Psittacus erithacus ), and Suddendorf & Whiten 2001 (in dogs)].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Successful Application of Video‐Projected Human Images for Signalling to Dogs

et al. 2003

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Dogs were tested (1) in a two‐way choice experiment, where the experimenter indicated a baited bowl by pointing; and (2) in a task where the owner was asked to command the dog to execute simple obedience tasks. In expt 1 dogs (n = 10) were tested at first in the presence of the experimenter (three dimensional condition, 3D), that was followed by a series of pointing trials when the life‐sized image of the experimenter was projected onto the wall by the means of a video‐projector (two dimensional condition, 2D). Dogs performed correctly more often than expected by chance in both 3D and 2D conditions. In expt 2 the commanding owner was either present in the room (3D), or her/his image was projected on the screen (2D), or only her/his voice was audible for the dog through a speaker (0D). The performance of the dogs (n = 10) decreased to great extent comparing the 3D and 0D condition, as the number of different actions the dogs obeyed was significantly less in the 0D condition. However, there was no difference in the number of different actions obeyed in the 3D and 2D conditions. Our results show that dogs readily obey life‐sized, interactive moving image in various communicative situtations. We suppose that the difference between 2D and 3D conditions can be attributed partially to the lack of some additional communicative signals as sounds (verbal cues) and odours (from the human), and to some changes in the context.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Successful Application of Video‐Projected Human Images for Signalling to Dogs

et al. 2003

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“…referential vocal behaviour, cooperation and reconciliation, possible deception and coalition formation) that suggest convergent evolution (Bugnyar 2007;Clayton and Emery 2005;Emery 2004;Emery et al 2007;Bugnyar 2010a, b, 2011;Pepperberg 1999Pepperberg , 2010Seed et al 2008), parrots might also be good subjects for studies involving some level of prosocial behaviour. Specifically, long-term studies on Grey parrots show they learn best in social contexts (Pepperberg 1999;Pepperberg et al 1998Pepperberg et al , 1999, that their cognitive competence is often comparable to that of young children (Pepperberg 1999(Pepperberg , 2006aPepperberg and Gordon 2005;Pepperberg and Carey 2012), and that although Grey parrots do not, like some other psittacids, engage in cooperative breeding and nest sharing, in the wild they are highly social, live in large flocks (May 2004), display altruistic behaviours (e.g. regurgitation, mutual interaction such as grooming), and cooperate by mobbing in the presence of a predator (Jones and Tye 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A study of sharing and reciprocity in grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)

et al. 2012

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Demonstrations of nonhuman ability to share resources and reciprocate such sharing seem contingent upon the experimental paradigm used (note Horner et al. in PNAS 108:13847-13851, 2011). Here, such behaviour in Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) was tested in two experiments, both designed to avoid possible issues involving apparatus complexity, visible reward options, and physical competition and/or limited communication between subjects. In both studies, two birds, working in dyads, took turns in choosing one of four different coloured cups with differing outcomes: empty (null, nonrewarding), selfish (keeping reward for oneself), share (sharing a divisible reward), or giving (donating reward to other). In Experiment 1, each bird alternated choices with a conspecific; in Experiment 2, each bird alternated with the three humans with different specific intentions (selfish, giving, or copying bird's behaviour). In both experiments, birds could learn to cooperatively reward a partner at little cost to themselves-by sharing-and potentially maximize overall reward by reciprocating such sharing. Experiment 1 results differed depending upon which bird began a session: Only our dominant bird, as follower, was willing to share. In Experiment 2, birds' responses tended towards consistency with human behaviour. Our dominant bird was willing to share a reward with a human who was willing to give up her reward, was selfish with the selfish human, and tended towards sharing with the copycat human; our subordinate bird tended slightly towards increased sharing with the generous human and selfishness with the selfish human, but did not change behaviour with the copycat.

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“…These studies typically used question-and-answer paradigms. We know that social interaction can play a significant role in parrots' mastering concepts (e.g., sameness and difference of color, shape, and material properties) and cognitive tasks such as referential label learning (Pepperberg, 1994;Pepperberg et al, 1999). However, to our knowledge, the current study is the first to investigate the effects of social context on parrots' spontaneous vocalizations.…”

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confidence: 86%

Social context influences the vocalizations of a home-raised African Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus).

Colbert-White

Covington

Fragaszy

2011

Journal of Comparative Psychology

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Home-raised African Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus erithacus) exhibit strong social bonding with their human companions. We examined how 1 parrot's vocal production (speech and nonword sounds) changed with social context with respect to descriptive measures of the vocalizations and their thematic content. We videotaped the parrot in 4 social conditions: subject home alone, subject and owner in the same room, owner in a separate room within hearing range, and owner and experimenter conversing in the same room as the parrot but ignoring her. Linguistic analysis revealed the parrot's repertoire consisted of 278 "units" ranging in length from 1 to 8 words or sounds. Rate of vocalization and vocabulary richness (i.e., the number of different units used) differed significantly, and many vocalizations were context-specific. For example, when her owner was in the room and willing to reciprocate communication, the parrot was more likely to use units that, in English, would be considered solicitations for vocal interaction (e.g., "Cosmo wanna talk"). When she and her owner were in separate rooms, the subject was significantly more likely to use units that referenced her spatial location and that of her owner (e.g., "Where are you"), suggesting she uses specific units as an adaptation of the wild parrot contact call. These results challenge the notion that parrots only imitate speech and raise interesting questions regarding the role of social interaction in learning and communicative competence in an avian species.

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Limited contextual vocal learning in the grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus): The effect of interactive co-viewers on videotaped instruction.

Cited by 35 publications

References 88 publications

Successful Application of Video‐Projected Human Images for Signalling to Dogs

Successful Application of Video‐Projected Human Images for Signalling to Dogs

A study of sharing and reciprocity in grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)

Social context influences the vocalizations of a home-raised African Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus).

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