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Solitary sound play during acquisition of English vocalizations by an African Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus): Possible parallels with children’s monologue speech

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Irene M. Pepperberg ,
Katherine J. Brese  and
Barbara J. Harris
Irene M. Pepperberg*
Affiliation:
Northwestern University
Katherine J. Brese
Affiliation:
Northwestern University
Barbara J. Harris
Affiliation:
Northwestern University
*
Irene M. Pepperberg, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Biological Sciences Building West, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
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Abstract

An African Grey parrot, Alex, who had learned to use English speech in studies on referential interspecies communication and animal cognition, produced English monologues in both the presence and absence of human receivers. This study examines one component of Alex’s monologue behavior, private speech, while he was being taught new vocalizations. His private speech during those time periods included a small percentage of novel utterances, not yet used in the presence of his caretakers, that were phonologically related to, but not exact reproductions of, the new vocalizations. His monologues also contained utterances that were part of the general daily routine as well as the specific training paradigm, but rarely included verbatim reproductions of the training scenario. Alex’s behaviors were comparable to those of children in the early stages of language acquisition. Because monologue behavior has been characterized as a form of practice that facilitates human language development, the data are discussed in terms of the possible functions of monologues during Alex’s acquisition of novel vocalizations.

Type
Articles
Information
Applied Psycholinguistics , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , June 1991 , pp. 151 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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