Language

• Communication in honeybees

  • Honeybees communicate by rotating bodies
  • Experiments show accuracy of movements - despite some errors
  • flexible & communication form can be altered - not case in most non-human animals
• Alarm calls in vervet monkeys

  • only have a small repertoire of alarm calls
  • Calls specific to certain types of danger evoking specific responses
• Alarm calls can be specific

  • Experiments using loudspeakers to play sounds in absence of predator
  • show responses of receiver monkeys are responses to sounds - not predators themselves
• Alarm calls can be referential

  • property of language =
  • exhibit qualities similar to those found in human language
  • refer to specific objects, situations, convey meaningful information to others
• Referential alarms calls in Diana monkeys

  • played sounds from speaker frequently to get habituation response
  • After - played sound of leopard - monkeys still not responding due to habituation
  • replaced with eagles sounds - responded by hiding
  • = alarm calls referential & specific
• however, alarm calls

  • don’t imply theory of mind or intentional communication
  • Calls more likely in presence of conspecifics - other vervet monkeys
  • but might be tendency to make sounds when others around
  • Alarm calls to baboons found only in young vervets – even when young vervets present
  • Alarm calls might reflect the animal’s own state
• Issues with alarm calls

  • inflexible
  • almost no examples of novel calls
  • can be explained by innate repertoire - with some learning - apply calls to correct situation
  • not language - just form of communication that suits species
• Brief history of comparative language research

  • 1930s - Kellogg adopts Gua (chimpanzee) - raises him alongside son
  • With lot of coaching - could say Papa
  • 1940s - Cathy & Keith Hayes adopt Viki (chimpanzee)
  • After 4 years, Viki could say Mama, Papa, cup, up
  • Chimpanzees lack vocal apparatus for human speech
  • later attempts used either sign language & symbols
• Different primates and the sign language words they learnt

  • most learn around just over 100 in 4/ 5 years
  • 1 = 250 in 4 years
  • 2 year olds learn about 10 words per day
  • chester dog - 1,000 = doesn't mean understand language
• Properties of language - productivity

  • words can be combined to produce meaningful phrases
  • doubtful that non-human animals can use language this way
• Can non-humans generate or understand phrases

  • Washoe - saw picture of swan - hadn't learnt before & signed "water bird"
  • Lana - saw picture of orange - said "apple which is orange colour" in Yerkish
  • Do these really demonstrate acting of a novel phrase?
• Apes rarely produce meaningful multi-word utterances

  • utterances essentially gibberish & aren't meaningful sentences, not supporting evidence for spontaneous utterances
  • higher age = bigger mean length of utterances
• Multi-word signed utterances by chimpanzees

  • no evidence of syntax or meaning conveyed by ordering
  • many utterances used same words
  • 86% of utterences - requests - consistent with idea of instrumental behaviour - action performed to achieve a goal
• Kazi's language comprehension

  • mean length of utterances - 1.5
  • played 310 sentences - containing instructions
  • responded to 298
  • can understand sentences, sentence structure?
• how correct was kazi

  • 21 instances required use of sentence structure
  • Other researchers dissected 21 instances of sentences structure & rated how correctly Kanzi responded:
  • Savage-Rumbaugh reported 12 correct - chance
  • Wynne - 7
• best evidence for sentence comprehension - dolphin

  • trained with sign language
  • tested with novel phrases
  • results suggest understanding of syntax
  • no evidence of production
• Conclusion

  • plenty of evidence animals make appropriate responses to stimuli
  • little evidence of language production or comprehension
• Possible reasons animals struggle to produce/ comprehend language

  • animals lack necessary mechanisms - language production module, abstract thought
  • not sufficiently motivated
  • lack exposure to language humans have
  • yet to test abilities adequately