To view the video: Conversations with KOKO

Name ________________________ Class  __________________ Time________ (in:koko3.ws)

For Psych 120 and 105 clifford@smccd.edu

Please go to the website:

 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=conversations+with+koko&view=detail&mid=4E89FC7A9EB83A8E29084E89FC7A9EB83A8E2908&FORM=VIRE

 

To view the video: Conversations with KOKO

 

You may need to attend to the browser: I know it ran on firefox.

 

This video extends information to our discussions in class and the lecture I provided for the notes concerned with measurement techniques.

 

You can type your answers into the following areas. I am assuming that you watch this video and complete these questions by the assigned date. Do not remove the questions. (20pts credit).

 

Attend to Sentence structure, no run sentences. Make certain sentences articulate understanding of the question. When needed, integrate information learned in the text and video lectures with the video’s information.

 

Be concise. Watching this video and completing these questions is considered content for this week.

 

Do not remove the questions. (20)

 

Please include your name and class in the subject line.

Please follow instructions at CANVAS for submission of this assignment as a PDF.

 

I will complete correcting within four days of the submission date.

No late work

 

You can type your answers into the following areas.

 

1. The scientific problem of interest described in the video is the linguistic competence of apes/gorillas. The researcher Francine Petterson aims to learn the linguistic capabilities of Koko, a gorilla in the Fransisco zoo.
2. The scientific goal of interest described in the video is: determining the linguistic capabilities of gorillas and their similarities to human beings in communication and behavior.
3. The scientific strategy implemented to solve this problem and achieve this goal is: teaching Koko the gorilla alongside other gorilla animal sign language different from solely teaching them verbal communication.
4. The primary hypothesis observed in the video is: animal sign language can aid in human-animal communication.
5. The study subjects in the video are: the main subject the study as shown in this video are Koko and Michael. Koko and Michael were both born in the Fransisco zoo. Koko was a female lowland gorilla while Michael was male. She was born on 4^th Jully 1971 and Michael much later.
6. Please list examples of observational/measurement techniques observed in the video: Koko’s linguistic capabilities have been tested by exposing her to bimodal and bilingual communications and testing mastery as she requests and communicates with her trainer. Signing has been observed as her mode of communication as she asks for several things like food and water and the expression of her feelings. She has acquired lots of signing words through training.
7. Please list examples of scaling techniques observed in the video: communicating and transmitting messages like humans, children, and trained chimpanzees. The ability to use the behavioral response to show cognition in language progress. The use of signing/communication to show its emotions.
8. Please list examples of non-experimental methods observed in the video: the researcher portrays a real connection with Koko. She does not only take Koko as a research subject but also as a friend. This is shown when the researcher refers to Koko as her friend. She also portrays an emotional attachment to Koko by kissing her, hugs, and generally taking care of Koko by teaching her different things like toileting.
9. Please list examples of experimental methods observed in the video: at an early age of about six months, Koko the gorilla was introduced to various languages like spoken English, she was introduced to Ameslan signing language, a rule-based signing language which is a combination of signed language and Ameslan. To test their linguistic capabilities and their cognition capabilities.
10. Please list examples of independent variables observed in the video: examples of independent variables include; the number of words Koko was able to sign after exposure to Ameslan.
11. Please list examples of dependent variables observed in the video: examples of dependent variables include; English language and Ameslan signing language.
12. Please list examples of intervening events that the occurrence of the dependent enables the observer to infer. The language learning process’s intervening events include molding, whereby the signing teachers held Koko and Michaels’s hands to help them in the proper shaping and movement to enhance learning. Another intervening event is imitation, where the gorillas could imitate the teachers’ movement for appropriate signing.
13. The method of sampling described in the video is simple random sampling. Koko was picked from his family as a child following a sickness. Koko acted as a representative of the gorillas’ entire population; the research findings applied to all gorillas and not specifically Koko.
14. Please write a paragraph of no more than 150 words describing the information described in this presentation.

Koko is a lowland gorilla born in 1971; project Koko began in the year 1972. She lived with a group of gorillas, and regard to sickness was transferred to a family. She was exposed to English at an early age and also signing. She began to show signs of understanding as early as eight months. Other gorillas, such as Endume and Michael, were trained against Koko. Michael was rescued from poachers in Africa while Koko spotted Endume as a mate. Both Koko and Michael showed lots of progress when exposed to signing.

15. The fundamental result of the experiments discussed in the presentation was: testing the linguistic capabilities of gorillas and acted as an initiative to conserve habitats for gorillas.
16. Please describe for a hypothetical “methods” section the primary participant in this video. The video’s primary participants were Koko, a lowland gorilla, alongside Michael and Endume, which were research subjects to determine the linguistic capabilities of gorillas and their similarities to human beings.
17. Please describe the observer/scientist’s role in the data collection process observed in this video. The observer/scientist collected primary data directly. Observing the gorilla’s behavior and reporting the phenomena as they occur.
18. Please describe how the fundamental results discussed in this presentation relate to topics concerning the nature of reality as discussed in the lecture and text. Regardless of the lack of perfect freedom and lack of a normal social group Koko acquired lots of signing capabilities. This offers a basis that, with added teaching time and constant training, gorilla’s vocabulary acquisition milestones can be almost similar to those of a human child.