1. Animal Cognition

2. Do animals have language?

3. What is language?
Language is a set of symbols that convey meaning, and rules for combining those symbols that can be used to generate an infinite variety of messages

4. Properties of language
Language is…
symbolic (code, arbitrary representation of reality)
semantic (has meaning)
generative (new words, new sentences)
Language has syntax (order of symbols conveys
the meaning of the message)

6. Talking Apes? Kellog and Kellog (1933) Gua
Keith and Cathy Hayes (1951) Vicky
Beatrice and Allan Gardner (1966) Washoe
Herbert Terrace (1979) Nim Chimpsky

7. Talking Apes? Sue Savage-Rumbaugh (1978 - present)
Sherman and Austin (chimps)
Kanzi and Panbanisha (bonobos)

8. Nim imitated his trainers
Noam Chomsky
( )
Nim Chimpsky (
heart attack)
Nim imitated his trainers
Nim never acquired the ability to generate sentences
Nim used his utterances to request rather than to express meaning

9. Kanzi, a bonobo, has learned to communicate with his caretakers
through a touch-activated keyboard. Each symbol, or lexigram
stands for an object, agent, or action.

10. Bottom - ring - fetch - basket: pick a ring from the bottom of the pool and bring it to the basket
Basket - fetch - bottom - ring: pick a basket and carry it to the ring which is at the bottom of the pool

11. Do Animals Have a Self?