New Symbols
Premack was able to demonstrate that Sarah could understand how to decode a symbol stream after training. First she had to learn the token name-of and then learn that some new, but real objects had the name-of fig token1 and crackerjack token2.
She learned
- Real fig name-of fig token1
and
- Real crackerjack name-of crackerjack token2.
She was tested with
- fig token1 "?" Real crackerjack
which she answered correctly with
- fig token1 Not name-of Real crackerjack
Finally, with the trainer placing a ripe fig on the table, and the tokens fig token1, crackerjack token2, give, Mary, Sarah, orange, banana, Sarah produced the new sentence
- Mary give fig token1 Sarah
and with the trainer placing a crackerjack on the table, Sarah produced the new sentence
- Mary give crackerjack token2 Sarah
Read more about this topic: The Mind Of An Ape
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