aim
Can animals be able to understand the concept of different and same through categorization?
Model/ Rival approach
- Primary trainer asks questions, second trainer answers (Model)
- The parrot (Rival) fights for attention
- These roles are reversed
- This is continuous reinforcement
sample
Alex:
- African Grey parrot
- Was in studies involving cognition and communication -He was already familiar with 80+ objects
Research method design
case study
procedure
- Alex shown objects that differ in shape, colour and material (I.e Blue wooden box)
- He is asked what is similar and what is different
- And independent observer is testing him while the primary trainer translates. He can’t see the experiment
- If he gets it incorrect he gets a timeout
- if he gets it correct, then he gets the object
results: first trial
Familiar: 69.7% correct
Novel: 82.5% correcy
results
Familiar: 76.6%
Novel: 85% (Motivated to possess and discover new unfamiliar objects)
strengths:
validity:
1. Low demand characteristics
(He did not know the people training him so he did not link what they were doing)
- Low researcher bias:
(Trainer conducting had not trained Alex beforehand. Student who organised had not met Alex)
- High internal validity
Novel trials show that he understands the concept
- High predictive validity
If he were to do this experiment again he would score the same
reliability:
- Quantitative data used
- Low ethical issues
weakness
validity:
- Low generlisability
- Low extrenal validity
reliability:
1. Fatigue effects
Tried to lower them by asking other questions such as: What color? How many? What shape?
- Performed an uneven number of trials for each one
conclusion
- Parrots can understand abstract concepts such as same/different
- They can learn how to respond to verbal questions involving catergories
