Irene Pepperberg of Brandeis University
Image:
-
The Wisdom of Psychopaths
In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a...
Read More »
Irene Pepperberg is associate research professor at Brandeis University and the author of a new book, Alex and Me. She and Jonah Lehrer, the editor of Mind Matters, discuss what Alex and other African Grey Parrots can teach us about the evolution of intelligence and the concept of zero.
LEHRER: What first got you interesting in study avian intelligence? After all, to say someone has a "bird brain" is insulting.
PEPPERBERG: I had parakeets as pets as a child, and I knew they were quite smart. For instance, they could learn to say words and phrases in context. But I didn't connect that to science at the time. I trained in chemistry at MIT and chemical physics at Harvard, not even knowing that a new field, animal cognition, was developing in psychology. It wasn't until I saw the first NOVA programs, in 1974, on ape signing, dolphin intelligence and the one on "Why Do Birds Sing?" that I realized that one could look at animal-human communication and animal intelligence in a scientific way. That’s when I realized that no one was looking at parrots, which could actually talk. I decided to use their ability to produce human speech sounds to examine their cognitive processes.
LEHRER: Were you surprised by Alex's talents?
PEPPERBERG: In general, no. But occasionally he would do something that was really impressive, jumping beyond the task at hand, transferring his knowledge unexpectedly from one domain to another. That’s when I’d get surprised.
LEHRER: What do you think was Alex's most impressive cognitive feat?
PEPPERBERG: The work on the “zero-like” concept. He had shown that he could label the number of a subset of items in a heterogeneous mixture (for example, tell us the number of blue blocks in a mixture of red and blue balls and red and blue blocks), but we hadn't tested his comprehension of number. That task was important, because young children, at a particular stage in number learning, can label a set but can't, for example, remove a specific number of marbles from a big heap.
So we were testing him on number comprehension, again showing him heterogeneous mixtures of different numbers of objects of different colors (for instance, two blue keys, five purple keys, six green keys and asking, "What color is six?"). As was his wont, he was at about 90 percent accuracy on the first dozen or so trials, but we needed far more for statistical significance. The problem was that he just did not want to comply. He began to turn his back to us, throw the objects on the floor, or give us all the wrong answers and repeat the wrong answers so that, statistically, we knew he was avoiding the correct response. We started bribing him with candies and treats to get him to work. One day, in the midst of this, I'm testing him with a tray of three, four and six blocks of different colors, and I ask, "What color three?" He replies, "Five." At first, I was puzzled: there was no set of five on the tray. We repeat this interaction several times, and he consistently says, "Five." Finally, in frustration, I ask, "OK, what color five?" He says "none"! Not only had he transferred the use of "none" from a same-different task, where "none" was the response if nothing about two objects was indeed "same" or "different," to the absence of a numerical set, but he had also figured out how to manipulate me into asking him the question he wanted to answer!
LEHRER: What can bird intelligence teach us about the evolution of human intelligence? Birds and primates parted ways a long time ago.
PEPPERBERG: Yes, primates and birds separated about 280 million years ago. But Alex's abilities show us that it’s important to examine parallel evolution and to be willing to examine how a brain functions, not only how it looks. The cortical-like area of the parrot brain looks nothing like human cortex, but it is derived from the same pallial areas as is human cortex, functions in a similar manner and takes up roughly the same proportion of space. We also must examine the conditions that likely selected for intelligence in evolution. Grey parrots, for example, like nonhuman primates, are long-lived and exist in a complex ecological and social environment. Likely the same conditions that selected for intelligence in nonhuman primates were at work in the parrot lineage.
LEHRER: In your book, you describe repeated examples of scientists and journals ignoring and discounting your results. Why do you think people are so resistant to the idea of bird intelligence? And have things improved?
PEPPERBERG: When I started my research, very few scientists studied any bird other than the pigeon, and used any technique other than operant conditioning. Pigeons did not perform very well compared to other animals (such as rats and nonhuman primates), and were thus considered to be lacking in intelligence; scientists extrapolated their findings to all birds. At the time, scientists didn't understand how the avian brain functioned, and thought it lacked any significant cortex. And, of course, when I began my research, some scientists started discounting much that had been done in the field of human-animal communication. So, when I started working with a parrot, and chose to use a nontraditional training method, few in the scientific community would give credit to Alex's achievements.
Whether or not things have improved depends a lot upon whom you ask. Many scientists do appreciate what Alex did and have been inspired to further investigate the abilities of all birds—not only parrots and corvids, but also to perform new research with pigeons. Other scientists, intent on proving the uniqueness of humans, tend to discount my research. Much of the work in avian cognition has shifted to Europe now, with large grants going to researchers in the U.K. (St. Andrews, Cambridge, Oxford) and other countries in the E.U. (such as Austria). Unfortunately, very little funding is available here in the U.S.
See what we're tweeting about
13 Comments
Add Comment" What first got you interesting in study avian intelligence? "
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSci Am - what the beep are you doing? It must be elementary school report day. Shame on you for trashing the reputation of Sci Am.
Also - Pepperberg trashes her own eminence when she, without qualifiers, says that parrots talk. I'm a parrot owner. I know they can use words to express want, but to say that they talk is a mistake. Pepperberg is biased and anathema to animal behavior science. You, Sci Am, should know this! Why don't you - and act accordingly??
Quasimodo, you obviously haven't had the chance to actually work with your bird. As any owner who has taken the time and effort to work with their parrot knows, the animal provides and manipulates feedback for their own benefit. That is what Pepperberg is showing - not just that animals "talk", but that they exhibit traits that humans recognize - and then discount. It's people who react as you do that end up causing new ways of understanding and relating to life to be discouraged.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@quasimodo: So... the transferal of the "none" word means nothing to you? Cross-conceptual use of language seems like "talking" to me.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI own parrots, and it's very difficult to distinguish their use of language symbols from ritualized behaviors. Here's an example; my African Grey Lazarus wants to come out of his cage, but he doesn't know how to make that happen, so he will produce all the sounds associated with it: "Do you want to come out? C'mere! Good boy! [click of lock. sound of door opening] step up! GOOOOOD BOY!". Is he trying to let me know he wants to come out? Not necessarily, I can hear him do this when he cannot see I am present. It may be that he's simply performing the ritual which happens when he gets to come out in the hopes that it will make the event happen.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBut then he's used words he's heard in one context correctly in a new context. We tell him to 'be quiet' when he gets too loud, especially during movies. A movie that Lazarus likes (child's cartoon) was on and my husband started laughing loudly. Lazarus used two words he's never heard together (my husband's name + be quiet) appropriately. (I never ask my husband to 'be quiet'. Shut up perhaps, but never 'be quiet' ;)).
He straw bosses our dogs when they bark, telling them to go outside. That's mimicking but he also knows what event it will create. The most cunning use of language he displays though is when he is upset and wants to nip, he will tell you in an almost angry tone "C'mere!" and try to bite you. I also have two caiques and when they are out of their cages and he is not, he orders them to 'C'mere' and tries to nip them through the cage.
Talking? Language? Yes and no. Their symbol manipulation clearly isn't done in the same manner that human/primate communication occurs...but why would it be? As far as language goes, many birds have their own language for communication. Their sounds are not meaningless. They have names they use. They have sounds that designate specific threats. Why should anyone evince surprise then that when they are able to use our symbols, they can manipulate some of them with a great degree of success?
An intelligence "bright line" doesn't make much sense from evolutionary viewpoint.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe only people intent on arguing for such "bright line" with a straight face are the ones believing they were made from dust or a blood-clot.
But, then, they really shouldn't be getting into an intelligence debate.
What do you call it when a bird, in this case a lilac crowned amazon, makes up a new phrase from two other phrases/ words he knows? Our parrot, Oscar knew the words "come here" which means to him "I want you to come here!" and "cookie" which means I want food - typically the food we happen to be eating. Oscar came up with "cookie here" - all on his own. That was not a phrase we used with him. In time the phrase was shortened to "cookhere". Again, something he made up.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDogs can be pretty stupid animals if you make them live in boring, unsociable conditions. Yet wolves, their natural ancestors, possess highly complex hunting strategies that they communicate to each other in subtle ways. It is easy to ignore animal intelligence and to assume that only humans have smart language. If we knew more about how parrots live we would find out that they are highly intelligent communicators. Crows too are capable of solving very complex chinese puzzles using home-made tools to get at food hidden inside! And they can also be trained to talk...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe error is this evolutuonary thinking.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAll life is intelligent in different ways.
The fiber of existence is really psychic.
My parrot, Karel will appear to understand very subtile humourous situations where language and internation of the voice precludes the joke or humour, seconds later. He will go ooooooooh, or laugh in a 'dirty' sort of way. Apparently he uderstands the oncoming humor miliseconds before it actually happens (in a comedy program or situation). Truely amazing. An example of the type of humour would be an execerpt from Faulty Towers with John Cleese. Karel also says 'daag' (goodbye in Dutch) as we walk towards the door and or put our coats on to leave.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSo I do believe he well understands and can predict those events.
Enter Your Comment Here. Bird-Cognition Scientists: CHECK OUT CHICKENS! NOT kidding with you. My pet hen, handreared from day-one after she hatched some-sixteen years ago, and then just allowed to "hang out" in or out of the house, be a chicken with the others in my feral flock, or a cat on my bed with my other kitties, or a dog on their bed or the floor with them, and eat whatever she finds first or what I feed the rest, has been just a LOT of fun to observe, remarkably surprising in her choices and when or why (my guesswork) she does, and generally not as bad a "roommate" as some humans can be - though she's a real nuisance too sometimes. She runs a gamut through some sort of cyclic periodicity "thing" for which "lifestyle" she seems to prefer for awhile, then she shifts. She's been a mom too - not bad, but she didn't seem in any hurry to do it again, and finally took to eating her how eggs after setting on them a day or so. And lately I'm not sure she even lays anymore - she's quite fit though. She also usually avoids sexual contact - probably thinks roosters are "dumb" - since she's such a SMART bird herself. She's entirely capable of communicating much as described here by Alex, when she's not happy with me or what's going on - and even shows a streak of apparently intentional vindictiveness in her behaviors, too. (Like crapping on my bed as she leaves it, just after I've treated her in some way that has annoyed her for maybe the third time in that hour... MANY TIMES, she's "done stuff" like this, over these many years: her whole-body attitude, feathers erected, insolent head-cocking, furtive eye-contact, just ahead of the "heinous act" - lending more credence than I'm able to ignore to my reluctant interpretation of her MOTIVES when she does it -- right in front of me sitting there, yet having positioned herelf for a quick escape.) She's "just" an ordinary brown hen of the typical generic "fighting chicken" type found all over around here - at large and being "cultivated" - on the wet rural East side of the Big Island of HI. Her name is Gloriaa. Mine is Lani, and I am almost 70 and a lifelong "science-news FAN". So I AM seriously suggesting you should STUDY CHICKENS - they're CHEAP & PLENTIFUL.! And you can observe a WHOLE FLOCK to get at SOCIAL behaviors as well as cognition. Plus, they're a hoot! Especially if one's ego includes enough sense of humor.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBig condolences to all who cared, on the sad and untimely passing of Alex!
Enter Your Comment Here. Bird-Cognition Scientists: CHECK OUT CHICKENS! NOT kidding with you. My pet hen, handreared from day-one after she hatched some-sixteen years ago, and then just allowed to "hang out" in or out of the house, be a chicken with the others in my feral flock, or a cat on my bed with my other kitties, or a dog on their bed or the floor with them, and eat whatever she finds first or what I feed the rest, has been just a LOT of fun to observe, remarkably surprising in her choices and when or why (my guesswork) she does, and generally not as bad a "roommate" as some humans can be - though she's a real nuisance too sometimes. She runs a gamut through some sort of cyclic periodicity "thing" for which "lifestyle" she seems to prefer for awhile, then she shifts. She's been a mom too - not bad, but she didn't seem in any hurry to do it again, and finally took to eating her how eggs after setting on them a day or so. And lately I'm not sure she even lays anymore - she's quite fit though. She also usually avoids sexual contact - probably thinks roosters are "dumb" - since she's such a SMART bird herself. She's entirely capable of communicating much as described here by Alex, when she's not happy with me or what's going on - and even shows a streak of apparently intentional vindictiveness in her behaviors, too. (Like crapping on my bed as she leaves it, just after I've treated her in some way that has annoyed her for maybe the third time in that hour... MANY TIMES, she's "done stuff" like this, over these many years: her whole-body attitude, feathers erected, insolent head-cocking, furtive eye-contact, just ahead of the "heinous act" - lending more credence than I'm able to ignore to my reluctant interpretation of her MOTIVES when she does it -- right in front of me sitting there, yet having positioned herelf for a quick escape.) She's "just" an ordinary brown hen of the typical generic "fighting chicken" type found all over around here - at large and being "cultivated" - on the wet rural East side of the Big Island of HI. Her name is Gloriaa. Mine is Lani, and I am almost 70 and a lifelong "science-news FAN". So I AM seriously suggesting you should STUDY CHICKENS - they're CHEAP & PLENTIFUL.! And you can observe a WHOLE FLOCK to get at SOCIAL behaviors as well as cognition. Plus, they're a hoot! Especially if one's ego includes enough sense of humor.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBig condolences to all who cared, on the sad and untimely passing of Alex!
I think some parrots are realy smarter then a two year old kid like the Palm Cockatoo that can reach an age of 90.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHave also a look at <a>http://www.avescenter.com</a>
I think there are realy birds who are smarter then a two year old kid. Like the palm cockatoo that can reach the age of 90.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHave also a look at <a>http://www.avescenter.com</a>