evolutionary psychology

[evolcon]

The subject is language. and the complex communications that allow humans to, access, with thought. the information stored in their brain, and to do this at will. Human conversation is a very special ability, one must assemble a large number of words, arrange them in a grammatically correct order and verbalize them rapidly.  The avarage human vocabulary consist of more than 10,000 words.
 Human communications allows us to plan, we can think about and talk about yesterday, or years ago, we can discuss the future, we can do this at our leisure, in a boardroom or backyard bbq,  Our amazing progress from hunter gatherer tribes to today's civilization
is due in no small part due to our language skill.

[Angrboda]

Or maybe it's due to an increase in brain size driven by ecological instability in Africa's recent past. Your call.

[arewethereyet]

The subject is language. and the complex communications that allow humans to, access, with thought. the information stored in their brain, and to do this at will. Human conversation is a very special ability, one must assemble a large number of words, arrange them in a grammatically correct order and verbalize them rapidly.  The avarage human vocabulary consist of more than 10,000 words.
 Human communications allows us to plan, we can think about and talk about yesterday, or years ago, we can discuss the future, we can do this at our leisure, in a boardroom or backyard bbq,  Our amazing progress from hunter gatherer tribes to today's civilization
is due in no small part due to our language skill.

We have an African Grey parrot. She comes out with sentences that make perfect sense but aren't something she heard someone say. We don't leave the TV or radio on if we aren't home so that's not where she heard it.

Explain that.

[evolcon]

The subject is language. and the complex communications that allow humans to, access, with thought. the information stored in their brain, and to do this at will. Human conversation is a very special ability, one must assemble a large number of words, arrange them in a grammatically correct order and verbalize them rapidly.  The avarage human vocabulary consist of more than 10,000 words.
 Human communications allows us to plan, we can think about and talk about yesterday, or years ago, we can discuss the future, we can do this at our leisure, in a boardroom or backyard bbq,  Our amazing progress from hunter gatherer tribes to today's civilization
is due in no small part due to our language skill.

We have an African Grey parrot.  She comes out with sentences that make perfect sense but aren't something she heard someone say.  We don't leave the TV or radio on if we aren't home so that's not where she heard it.  

Explain that.

If your parrot can converse in ways in which she has never heard, I cant explain it. I would suggest you take her to the nearest university and have that documented. I can guarantee they would be interested

[Angrboda]

Why do you keep telling people, in one way or another, that you think they are lying?

[evolcon]

Why do you keep telling people, in one way or another, that you think they are lying?

I'm don't think anyone is lying, but I do think arewethereyet may be mistaken if they believe that a parrot can  construct a sentence that it had never heard before. Beliefs and truth are important and no one should be led to believe something that may not be true

[arewethereyet]

Why do you keep telling people, in one way or another, that you think they are lying?

I'm don't think anyone is lying, but I do think arewethereyet may be mistaken if they believe that a parrot can  construct a sentence that it had never heard before. Beliefs and truth are important and no one should be led to believe something that may not be true

Yeah, I am mistaken. I've only had the bird over a quarter century. Don't have a clue what I'm talking about. But you know.

You are a pompous ass; but I knew that already.

[evolcon]

I'm don't think anyone is lying, but I do think arewethereyet may be mistaken if they believe that a parrot can  construct a sentence that it had never heard before. Beliefs and truth are important and no one should be led to believe something that may not be true

Yeah, I am mistaken.  I've only had the bird over a quarter century.  Don't have a clue what I'm talking about.  But you know.  

You are a pompous ass; but I knew that already.



Not from me, but from an animal behaviorist


Parrots and certain other birds seem to be able to talk. But can they hold a real ?

Possibly! Experts say parrots probably do not understand meanings of most words. However, they are aware of the context surrounding words and can make associations with the words. For example, a researcher named Tim Wright explained why a parrot might ask “How are you?” when you enter the room. It’s likely not asking about your well-being. Instead, the parrot imitates the words it has heard you say many times upon walking into a room. Your  has made an association between you entering the room and that phrase.
Repeating sounds you’ve heard many times before is called mimicry. The “talking” we hear from parrots is mimicry of all sorts of sounds. They  many things, from spoken words to creaking doors to barking dogs.

[arewethereyet]

You have a theory and will only accept what seems to prove that theory.

Thanks for playing...I'm out...you are an ass.

And I don't give a flying fuck that you are 78 years old and you think that means something other than you aren't dead yet.

[Angrboda]

Yeah, I am mistaken.  I've only had the bird over a quarter century.  Don't have a clue what I'm talking about.  But you know.  

You are a pompous ass; but I knew that already.



Not from me, but from an animal behaviorist


Parrots and certain other birds seem to be able to talk. But can they hold a real ?

Possibly! Experts say parrots probably do not understand meanings of most words. However, they are aware of the context surrounding words and can make associations with the words. For example, a researcher named Tim Wright explained why a parrot might ask “How are you?” when you enter the room. It’s likely not asking about your well-being. Instead, the parrot imitates the words it has heard you say many times upon walking into a room. Your  has made an association between you entering the room and that phrase.
Repeating sounds you’ve heard many times before is called mimicry. The “talking” we hear from parrots is mimicry of all sorts of sounds. They  many things, from spoken words to creaking doors to barking dogs.

Anecdotal evidence from those who care for African grays has long suggested that the parrots possess high innate intelligence. American animal behaviourist and psychologist Irene Pepperberg vindicated those observations with her studies of the cognitive abilities of African grays, using a bird named Alex and, later, additional specimens. Alex, who had been purchased from a pet store in Chicago in 1977, proved receptive to Pepperberg’s attempts to train him using positive behavioral reinforcement. Among his most significant accomplishments was proving unequivocally that parrots could associate sound and meaning, demolishing long-held theories that birds were capable of only mimicking human voices. At the time of his death in 2007, he could use English to count to six, correctly label objects of five shapes and seven colours, and differentiate groups of objects by colour, material, and shape. He further used English to communicate to other African grays in Pepperberg’s lab, variously encouraging and chastising their efforts at labeling and categorization.

Studies by other researchers have determined that African grays can use deductive reasoning to correctly choose between pairs of boxes—one containing food, the other empty—when they are shaken and that pairs of parrots are capable of working together to obtain a food reward. The intelligence of the species is thought to rank among the highest of nonhuman animals, including apes and cetaceans; some researchers have compared its reasoning abilities to those of a three- or four-year-old human child.

(Encyclopedia Britannica)