Readers who meet the one pound ball of feathers that is alex, an african grey parrot, and follow his educational adventures may marvel. Irene pepperberg has been studying the intelligence and reasoning abilities of the. Her book, the alex studies, describing over 20 years. All content in this area was uploaded by irene m pepperberg on jul 05, 2018. What would normally be a quiet, very private event was, in alexs case, headl. If you want to know about parrot intelligence, this is the site. Irene maxine pepperberg born april 1, 1949 is a scientist noted for her studies in animal cognition, particularly in relation to parrots. Welcome to the grey place sm bringing back the magic. The results of the majority of her experiments are. Alex the famous african gray parrot, renowned for the landmark cognition research conducted by owner dr. According to pepperberg, alexs loss will not halt the research but will be a large setback. A necropsy did not reveal an obvious cause of death. The filmmaking team would like to thank all of you for helping our development efforts to write a feature film adaptation of dr. What would normally be a quiet, very private event was, in alexs case, headline news.
Denise hezing, who has spent the last 27 years swimming with a pod of atlantic spotted dolphins in the bahamas as part of the wild dolphin. She worked with an african grey parrot named alex for over three. Cognitive and communicative abilities of grey parrots. She has published consistently and extensively in some of the most highly respected scientific journals in her field. This is a compilation of the invaluable articles that have been written about dr. Alex used many words for colors, object, numbers, and shapes to communicate with people. The screenwriting process is now on a hiatus and we encourage you to continue to support the amazing research of dr.
He knew about 100 words as of 2000, and was not ordinary because he appeared to understand what he. The student would repeat the word key, and irene would hand the object over. Irene maxine pepperberg is a scientist noted for her studies in animal cognition, particularly in relation to parrots. Below is a partial list of her papers with links to download in pdf format. Irene pepperberg started work with alex, an african grey parrot in the early 1970s. Irene pepperberg, research associate at harvard in. Nov 27, 2016 in 1977, irene pepperberg, a scientist, animal psychologist and professor at brandeis university and harvard university, bought the oneyearold alex from a pet shop. Alex hears how the word is used in common speech and doesnt simply associate the single word with a reward from a trainer.
This book accents their emotional bonding, pepperberg s struggles. How a scientist and a parrot uncovered a hidden world of animal intelligenceand formed a deep bond in the process irene pepperberg download bok. She is a comparative psychologist interested in studying animal cognition and communication. Results from the different laboratories were divergent, but complementary.
My work began with alex, a colleague of mine for 30 years, who was shown to have the emotional age of about a 2 year old child and the intelligence of up to a 56 year old child. Irene m pepperberg published on september, 2009 paperback september 1, 2009 by irene m pepperberg author. Acquisition of the samedifferent concept by an african. She is an adjunct professor of psychology at brandeis.
Many newspapers covered alexs death in an obituary, just as they do with famous people. Parrots are famous for their uncanny ability to mimic human speech. Irene pepperbergs research on alex, an african grey parrot, and two other greys. The parrot alex can also recognize and distinguish numbers up to six, and spontaneously demonstrated his ability to grasp the. Required texts all required readings are listed on this page and are available either as pdf files to be printed and brought with you to class or else available as a reference online. Pepperbergs book movingly combines the scientific detail of a. Het is al lang bekend dat papegaaien menselijke stemmen goed kunnen nabootsen. Irene pepperberg was challenging much of the scientific orthodoxy in animal behavioural studies when she began testing alex, and had a lot of trou it takes a while to get going, as she spends the first chapter reading letters of condolences she received after alex died, and then goes into her early life and childhood in some detail. The alex foundation is a notforprofit 501c 3 organization. The book starts with the public acknowledgement of his death in 2007. Brandeis university, harvard university, the alex foundation human. Irene pepperberg and alex, her first grey parrot research subject, began seminal research into the cognitive abilities of parrots, providing a new view of nonhuman intelligence. She is head of the alex foundation and author of the alex studies.
While pepperberg s earlier work, the alex studies, clinically documents scientific findings of her 30 years of cognitive experiments with alex, this memoir which from necessity includes much of the same information is a straightforward, innocently moving, personal narrative. Pepperberg and alex, an african grey parrot who proved scientists and accepted wisdom wrong by demonstrating an astonishing ability to communicate and understand complex ideas. Harvey karten, md the university of california, san diego are commonalities in brain microarchitecture and behavior in humans and birds a coincidence. The name alex was an acronym for avian language experiment, or avian learning experiment. What makes these comments remarkable is that alex is not a graduate student but a 22yearold grey parrot.
Modelrival training is used, a person models the behavior and receives treats, then the bird performs the behavior and receives treats. Every schoolchild knows polly wanna cracker, but the general belief is that such vocalizations lack meaning. Alex parrot simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Currently she is a research associate at harvard university, but has held positions at brandeis, purdue. Zie alex papegaai voor het hoofdartikel over dit onderwerp. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the alex foundation. Alex and me ebook epubpdfprcmobiazw3 alex and me on september 6, 2007, an african grey parrot named alex died prematurely at age thirtyone. An african grey parrot, alex had a brain the size of a shelled walnut, yet he could add, sound out words, understand concepts like bigger, smaller, more, fewer, and none, and he. Pepperberg also developed novel methods for teaching. Acquisition of the samedifferent concept by an african grey parrot. He was part of a study under animal psychologist irene pepperberg since 1977 at two different universities. According to the vet who conducted the necropsy, there was no obvious cause of death. Alex parrot academic dictionaries and encyclopedias.
How can i find the link to download a hotshot doc pdf book. She worked with an african grey parrot named alex for over three decades as she tested his. Irene pepperberg, a researcher at harvard university in the field of animal cognition, specifically of african grey parrots. Over the next 30 years, alex developed a vocabulary of over 100 english words and was able to use them in novel and inventive ways click here for some audio and video clips. I love you, were alex s final words to his owner, research scientist irene pepperberg, before his premature death at age thirtyone on september 6, 2007. When alex was about one year old, pepperberg bought him at a pet shop. Nov 12, 2008 alex the famous african gray parrot, renowned for the landmark cognition research conducted by owner dr. But alex was expected to respond with the vocal label ofone out ofthree dimensions that was the same or different for each pair depending upon the question he was asked, which was a consider ably moredifficult task. What would normally be a quiet, very private event was, in alex s case, headl. Pepperberg bought alex at a gardenvariety pet store in chicago when he was about a year old with the idea of studying him. This research was supported by national science foundation grant. The subject, an african grey parrot named alex, had been the focus of a.
Use of american sign language and signed english gardners, miles, patterson allowed for flexibility, innovation, and direct comparisons of communicative acquisition between child and ape. Brandeis university in massachusetts and before that, university of arizona. It is with pleasure that we provide a special issue, completely dedicated to alex. Pdf cognitive and communicative abilities of grey parrots. Pepperberg is president of the alex foundation, a notforprofit 501 c3 organization, which she started. When irene responded by again calling it key, she would get to. Pepperberg and alex, an african grey parrot who proved scientists and accepted wisdom wrong by demonstrating an astonishing ability to. Pick up the key ideas in the book with this quick summary. Via her pioneering methods, alex learned to accurately use over one hundred english labels to describe objects, shapes, colors, and materials, did simple math, and understood concepts of none, same. Irene maxine pepperberg born april 1, 1949 in brooklyn, new york is a scientist noted for her studies in animal cognition, particularly in relation to parrots. Irene pepperberg, and mark bittner, author and star of the film, the wild parrots of telegraph hill, will all be appearing at the 2010 midwest bird expo.
She worked with an african grey parrot named alex for over three decades as she tested his verbal, mathematical, and cognitive abilities. Pepperberg is an associate research professor at brandeis. A psychologist named irene pepperberg worked with alex until he died at age 31 in 2007. Alex the parrot is the only nonhuman to ask the existential. Use amazon smile to donate to the alex foundation when making this purchase. In 1991, she established the alex foundation to raise money to. But alex was more than just a parrot, he was a colleague to animal cognition researcher irene pepperberg.
Irene pepperbergs ongoing experiments proving the intelligence of psittacine birds using african grey species. For example, irene would show the student a key, saying key. How a scientist and a parrot discovered a hidden world. Formed a deep bond in the process reprint, irene pepperberg. At 31 years old, alex was only about half way through his expected life span. Irene maxine pepperberg born april 1, 1949 is a scientist noted for her studies in animal. In late 2007, alex the grey parrot stunned the world when he died suddenly and unexpectedly. On september 6, 2007, an african grey parrot named alex died prematurely at age thirtyone. When irene responded by again calling it key, she would get to hold it. To arrive at the edge of the worlds knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves.
Irene pepperberg revolutionized the way we think of. She is an adjunct professor of psychology at brandeis university and a lecturer at harvard university. According to a press release issued by the alex foundation, alex was found to be in good health at his most recent annual physical about two weeks before his death. Irene pepperbergs now deceased african gray parrot, alex, had a vocabulary of over 100 english words and was able to identify objects, colors, shapes, quantities and much more.
She has been a professor, researcher andor lecturer at multiple universities, and she is currently a research associate and lecturer at harvard university. How a scientist and a parrot discovered a hidden world of animal intelligence and formed a deep bond in the process, the common usually derogatory epithet of birdbrain takes on an entirely new meaning. Read unlimited books and audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. Pepperberg also serves on the advisory council of meti messaging extraterrestrial intelligence. How a scientist and a parrot uncovered a hidden world of animal intelligenceand formed a deep bond in the process irene pepperberg. Alex and me on september 6, 2007, an african grey parrot named alex died prematurely at age thirtyone. The student would handle the key with great interest, and then show the key to irene. Alex may 1976 6 september 2007 was a grey parrot and the subject of a thirtyyear experiment by animal psychologist irene pepperberg, initially at the university of arizona and later at harvard university and brandeis university. The youtube viral sensation, snowball the dancing cockatoo, brainy alex the african greys researcher, dr. She has also received fellowships from the harry frank guggenheim and whitehall foundations, and numerous grants from nsf.
Alex has helped us recognize that animal intelligence is a continuum, so that these creatures that look so different from us are doing the same kinds of intelligent behavior that. Irene pepperberg has been studying the intelligence and reasoning abilities of the african grey parrot for almost 40 years. Pepperberg is president of the alex foundation, a notforprofit 501c3 organization, which she started. After alex learns a new word, the team uses it deliberately in sentences, and presents the object in alexs view as they speak about the object. Alex, the african grey parrot with whom irene pepperberg, phd, has been conducting linguistic and cognitive research for 30 years, died unexpectedly on september 6. Chicago, il prweb may 18, 2010 the biggest stars of the parrot world will be converging on chicago this weekend. I love you, were alexs final words to his owner, research scientist irene pepperberg, before his premature death at age thirtyone on september 6, 2007. The main focus of her work is to determine the cognitive and communicative abilities of these birds, and compare their abilities with those of great apes, marine mammals, and young children. Pepperberg has published her work in scientific journals, but in january harvard university press will publish the alex studies, a book summarizing her experiments with alex. Pepperberg and her team use other methods to reinforce alexs learning. How a scientists and a parrot discovered a hidden world of animal intelligenceand formed a deep bond in the process. Alex to view two objects and merely respond same or differ ent, the latter response applying to anything that was different. Irene pepperberg revolutionized the way we think of bird brains. Pepperberg bought alex at a gardenvariety pet store in chicago when.