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
Famous quotes containing the word symbols:
“I do not deny that there may be other well-founded causes for the hatred which various classes feel toward politicians, but the main one seems to me that politicians are symbols of the fact that every class must take every other class into account.”
—José Ortega Y Gasset (1883–1955)
“That way of inspiration
is always open,
and open to everyone;
it acts as go-between, interpreter,
it explains symbols of the past
in to-day’s imagery.”
—Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)