Posted on 09/24/2006 6:20:37 AM PDT by grjr21
Alex is known for showing the world just how smart African Grey parrots are and hes known for breaking barrier after barrier in the world of animal intelligence. But now hes achieved a feat that no other animal has ever achieved, a feat that we believe will wow the worldand its a feat he accomplished all by himself! Dr. Pepperbergs newest paper, Ordinality and Inferential Abilities of a Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus), has just been published in this months Journal of Comparative Psychology. This paper outlines Alexs newest achievement in number comprehension. We think it will amaze you as much as it amazes us. Alex now knows that the number of objects on a tray, six sticks for example, can be represented by the vocal label six, and that the written numeral 6 represents those objects as well as the vocal label. This may not sound too astonishing, but what he does with this knowledge is quite amazing--as is the story of how he reached his current level of understanding. Its as easy as 1-2-3 For some time, Alex has been able to name the color of an item and hes been able to count the number of objects presented to him. Alexs math education also included being taught the vocal label of written number symbols, such as spoken label five for 5.
When learning these verbal labels for the written number symbols, Alex learned them differently than we humans do. Human children are generally taught to count in an order of numbers, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on. Learning numbers in this manner automatically infers the order or numerical value of the numbers (their ordinality) by their placement. However, children may demonstrate that they can determine which number is bigger than the other simply by the numbers position in the order of the counting sequence, but they may not have a true understanding of the numbers value. Alex learned his written numerals in an out of order sequence, learning 3 and 4 first, then 2, 5, 6 and lastly, 1. Using refrigerator magnet numerals, Alex learned the names of number symbols using his knowledge of color. Dr. Pepperberg would ask (using the Model/Rival technique), What number green? when holding a green 4. Or she would ask, What color 5? when holding a red number 5. Prior to this, Alex had learned how to label the number of the objects in a set and even to perform this behavior for similar objects interspersed with different objects. For instance, when 4 red objects were placed among 6 blue objects, Alex was asked how many red? and he could correctly answer four. Consequently, Alex knew that the number of objects was represented by a vocal label that described that number. When Dr. Pepperberg combined all these skills into a number comprehension test for Alex, an amazing thing occurred. Which bigger? Out of Alexs sight, a tray was prepared with either two refrigerator magnet numbers of different colors or a set of objects combined with one refrigerator magnet number, with the set of objects being one color and the number symbol being another color. For example, Alex was presented with three red objects and the number symbol 5. Alex was then asked, What color number is bigger (or smaller)? And he answered correctly. This indicated that Alex understood that the single number symbol 5 represented a larger object set than the three objects sitting in front of him. This type of problem was alternated with other types of number comprehension tests. Also out of Alexs sight, another type of tray was prepared, one with two different number symbols, each with a different color. These were presented to Alex, and he was again asked, What color number is bigger (or smaller)? And he would again answer correctly. An Unbelievable Understanding The last type of number comprehension challenge was especially revealing. Once again, out of Alexs sight, a tray was prepared for his test. But this time, the two number symbols of different numerical value (and two different colors) had a different physical size. For instance, a larger 2 symbol would be placed next to a significantly smaller-sized number 5. Alex would be asked the same question, what color number is smaller (or bigger)? He answered correctly with respect to the value of the symbol, not its physical size.
Alex decides which number is bigger
His responses in this test were nothing short of stupendous. Years prior to this, Alex had been taught to recognize physical mass as a qualifier for bigger or smaller. In past learning sessions, he had been asked to determine which key was bigger or smaller when presented with two keys of varying sizes. In this number comprehension test, rather than paying attention to the physical mass of the number symbol, Alex recognized the number as a symbol of numerical value. This proved that he has a true comprehension of the numerical value of a number symbol AND how that number value compared to the otherin short, he recognized ordinality. Alexs Singular Accomplishment Why is this so amazing? One aspect that astounds us is that Alex made the connection himself. As Dr. Pepperberg says, Alex demonstrated that he inferred the ordinal relations among his number symbols without direct training of the one-to-one correspondence between these numbers and their corresponding object sets, and without having been trained to recite the numerals in order. Alex had first been taught the vocal label for set of objects, and had then been taught the vocal label for the number symbol. His agile avian brain made the leap of understanding that the same vocal label represented two very different concepts, a numerical value and the label of a symbol. But Alex made an even bigger leap when he understood that the vocal label for number symbol represented the numerical value of that same vocal label. Of equal importance is Alexs grasp of the relations of numbers to each other. He realized their ordinality by their true numerical value. Alex surpasses chimpanzees in this respect. Chimpanzees can be trained to realize that a written number corresponds to a certain number of objects in a set, but they must be trained in a direct manner, by identifying the written numeral with the object set. A chimps understanding of ordinality was likewise based on a trained comprehension of the numeric symbol based on the number of objects in a set. We humans somehow expect chimpanzees to outperform all other species in assessments of animal intelligence, perhaps because they are so much like us in appearance and social behaviors. But the world must now take notice of this bird, this parrot named Alexa creature so unlike us in appearance but so singular in his ability to assimilate information and draw his own conclusions. And most tellingly, the conclusions he draws prove that he has an intelligence that is comparable to and sometimes surpasses very young human children. What lies ahead for Alex as he progresses in mathematical concepts? Addition? Subtraction? Only through time, donations and the endeavors of Dr. Pepperberg and her staff will we be able to know what Alex can fully accomplish. But one thing is for sure. Were sure Alex has more amazing feats in store for the rest of the world, and that these feats will once again prove the incredible intelligence of African Grey parrots.
Our worlds creatures are a wonder to behold.
You know, it might be a lot of fun to do as this website suggests and write to one's congressman, encouraging him to prevent the loss of breeding habitat for the endangered Tree Octopus. See what kind of response you get.
People who walk around thinking animals are automatons - mindlessly reacting to stimuli - strike me as neither observant nor particularly intelligent themselves.
When she said that, it was MY first thought as well!
What better place to study "Animal Behavoir" than at a human wedding...:)
I don't think it is that...it is just that there is a certain TYPE of intelligence that we consider a basic tenet of human rationality...and up to recently, it has not been shown to be present in non-primates.
There are a lot of people who can agree that intelligence can be measured in a variety of ways, and while certain South Pacific aboriginal peoples may not have mathematical intelligence that would have stood them in good stead amongst the people who were involved in the Manhattan Project, the people in the Manhattan Project for the most part would have been very hard pressed to survive in the jungles of New Guinea with no food and water, where the natives would be able to do it quite handily. (NOTE: THIS IS NOT CULTURAL RELATIVISM I HAVE JUST DEFINED!)
If that "human" characteristic is there in animals, researchers have not been able to find a way to allow animals to demonstrate it for us, confirming they have it as well as us.
Now, I am not an animal behavoirist, and I do not play one on television, so take this with a grain of salt. But it has been my impression that mathematical skill is the domain of humans. That is, some higher level animals may be able to count, but it has not been demonstrated that they can take two counts and combine them and assign a numerical representation for a sum.
Sounds to me like this "Alex" is getting kind of close to that.
Of course I realized it's a joke. That's why I think it would be hilarious to write to senators and congresscreatures, asking them to support "the preservation of habitat for this endangered animal species which is so vital to the balance of our ecosystem." Imagine, you might get responses from congressional staffers who took it seriously and would write back about the great Senator's deep and abiding concern for this unfortunate animal!
Good God! Those things are creeping around in trees? That would make it a good 2-3 feet from tip to tip!
I must admit...the site seems to be edited and maintained by the kind of people I generally try to avoid. But interesting nonetheless! Thanks!
Much more so than other land dwelling invertebrates...such as liberals...:)
Ha! That's great! (The octopus was probably...bored!)
We had a Carin Terrier. When she was sick my mom would ask her if she wanted to go to the vet? She'd head for the door, get in and out of the car, and walk into the vet's office off the leash.
People who walk around thinking animals are automatons - mindlessly reacting to stimuli - strike me as neither observant nor particularly intelligent themselves.
Couldn't have said it better.
My point was is that people (in my opinion) in general, do not think animals are automatons. They only need to see a domestic dog or cat to understand that.
But when they hear stories of crows bending a wire to use as a tool to get food, or an octopus sneaky enough to both leave its tank in an aquarium to get food, and then to cover its tracks to the point of replacing its lid back on its tank, they often ARE amazed.
I must admit...the site seems to be edited and maintained by the kind of people I generally try to avoid. But interesting nonetheless! Thanks!
Read the site again. Check on the links of the other 'endangered' creatures. Check out the advocacy groups, such as PETP.
Again, read the site very carefully. ;-)
>>People who walk around thinking animals are automatons - mindlessly reacting to stimuli - strike me as neither observant nor particularly intelligent themselves.<<
That would be me, except I wouldn't call them mindless any more than I would call my computer "CPUless".
Both interpret information and process according to their pre-programming.
It slithered across the tops of the tanks to another tank, pulled the top off, reached inside with its tentacles and grabbed a fish, pulled its tentacles out, put the top back on the tank, went back to its own tank, went inside, pulled its own tank top back on, and had dinner!!!!!!!!
I have parrots and have followed Alex's story for years. I ALSO had an octopus as a pet. . . they are VERY SMART creatures. Unfortunately, when mine decided to take a nightly stroll outside of his tank, he fell off the desk and couldn't get back up.
Myna must have been a democrat.
ROTFLMAO! It never occurred to me!
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