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The Alex Studies

Cognitive and Communicative Abilities of Grey Parrots

Can a parrot understand complex concepts and mean what it says? Since the early 1900s, most studies on animal-human communication have focused on great apes and a few cetacean species. Birds were rarely used in similar studies on the grounds that they were merely talented mimics - that they were, after all, "birdbrains". Experiments performed primarily on pigeons in Skinner boxes demonstrated capacities inferior to those of mammals; these results were thought to reflect the capacities of all birds, despite evidence suggesting that species such as jays, crows, and parrots might be capable of more impressive cognitive feats.

Twenty years ago Irene Pepperberg set out to discover whether the results of the pigeon studies necessarily meant that other birds - particularly the large-brained, highly social parrots - were incapable of mastering complex cognitive concepts and the rudiments of referential speech. Her investigation and the bird at its center -- a male Grey parrot named Alex -- have since become almost as well known as their primate equivalents and no less a subject of fierce debate in the field of animal cognition. This book represents the long-awaited synthesis of the studies constituting one of the landmark experiments in modern comparative psychology.

My Parrot Shop Review

Having read several books on animal consciousness the thing we particularly enjoyed about this book (aside from the fact that it’s all about parrots) is that it goes into quite a bit of detail about HOW the experiments were conducted, rather than just discussing the results. This allows you to judge the merits of the experiments yourself and leads you to a greater understanding of the study of animal conciousness. And if the mood takes you - you have instructions for emulating the studies with your own bird!

This book can at times be a dry read and can get quite technical, but not only will you learn a great deal about the cognitive potential of your own feathered friend you will also learn heaps about how the human brain develops and functions from birth.

Well worth it!

Format: Paperback
Author: Irene M. Pepperberg
ISBN: 0674008065
Pages: 434
Published: 1999
Illustrations: Black/white photos, charts, and drawings

Price: $49.95

Product Code: THEO48

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