241:, and reported that he acquired a large vocabulary and used it in a sophisticated way, which is often described as similar to that of a four-year-old child. Alex could understand labels to describe objects, colors, shapes, and materials. Pepperberg and her colleagues sought to show that Alex could differentiate meaning and
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organization, which she started. The foundation supports
Pepperberg and her team's research. In a 2006 interview, Pepperberg said that the foundation was her only funding source, having lost her paid research position due to a funding crunch at MIT's Media Lab, although the reporter of that interview
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The model/rival technique involves two trainers, one to give instructions, and one to model correct and incorrect responses and to act as the student's rival for the trainer's attention; the model and trainer also exchange roles so that the student sees that the process is fully interactive. The
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Some researchers believe that the training method that
Pepperberg used with Alex, (called the model/rival technique) holds promise for teaching autistic and other learning-disabled children who have difficulty learning language and communication skills, numerical concepts and empathy. When some
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did not apply, she argued, as Alex would talk to anyone, not just to her. Building on
Pepperberg's research, cognitive scientist Michael Trestman has argued that scaffolding and modeling, both approaches that the model/rival technique utilizes, can account for the cognitive evolution in humans,
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The use of this model/rival technique resulted in Alex identifying objects by color, shape, number and material at about the level of chimpanzees and dolphins. His language abilities were equivalent to those of a 2-year-old child and he had the problem solving skills of a 5-year-old. Alex was
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effects, Pepperberg's work has strengthened the argument that humans do not hold the monopoly on the complex or semi-complex use of abstract communication. With interspecies communication, Pepperberg speculated that grey parrots are comparable to primates, having similar social systems.
269:, and also parrots of other species. Other notable parrot subjects of her research have been Griffin, Arthur, and Athena. Alex was found dead on the morning of September 6, 2007, and was seemingly healthy the previous day. On September 10, 2007, Alex's
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Pepperberg has been a researcher, lecturer and adjunct or visiting professor at multiple universities. She was a research associate and lecturer at Purdue
University (1979–1984) and Harvard University (in the 1970s and since 2005). At the
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does not mention her research associate position at
Harvard University since 2005. The Alex Foundation raises money through donations, from direct sale of parrot-related gifts, and indirectly from sales through sponsoring businesses.
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413:, by Laura Maria Censabella. Drama inspired by the life story of Irene Pepperberg and Alex. World premiere directed by Cassie Chapados at Central Square Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in March 2024.
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Pepperberg countered critics' claims that Alex had been taught a script by explaining that the controls and tests she used made it impossible for him simply to recite words when she asked questions. The
213:, she was an associate professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with joint appointment in the psychology department and in the neuroscience program (1991–2000). She has been a Bunting Fellow at the
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209:, she has been a visiting associate professor (1999–2000) and researcher (2001–02). While at Purdue, she was involved in the biological sciences and psychological sciences departments. At
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Pepperberg, Irene M.; Sherman, Diane (October 2000). "Proposed Use of Two-Part
Interactive Modeling as a Means to Increase Functional Skills in Children With a Variety of Disabilities".
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that are widespread in the animal kingdom. Although such results are always likely to be controversial, and working intensively with a single animal always incurs the risk of
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learning the alphabet, had a vocabulary of 150 words, knew the names of 50 objects and could count up to eight when he died. He could also answer questions about objects.
116:
924:
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Trestman, Michael (15 January 2015). "Clever Hans, Alex the Parrot, and Kanzi: What can
Exceptional Animal Learning Teach us About Human Cognitive Evolution?".
175:. In the 1950s, the family resided in Brooklyn in an apartment above a store, and beginning at a very young age, Irene would own and train a series of
214:
233:, Pepperberg set out to show that their vocal behavior could have the characteristics of human language. She worked intensively with a single
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163:, she was an only child. Her father, Robert Platzblatt, was a biochemist and middle school teacher. Her parents were both first-generation
1197:
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Pepperberg, I. (2002). Cognitive and
Communicative Abilities of Grey Parrots. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11(3), 83-87.
190:, followed by a doctorate in Chemical Physics in 1976 at Harvard. During her doctoral program, she saw an episode of the PBS TV series
111:. She has been a professor, researcher and/or lecturer at multiple universities, and she is currently an Adjunct Research Professor at
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Alex & Me: How a
Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process
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data as well as microscope slides with equal or better accuracy than a human expert with only weeks of behavioral training needed.
262:
autistic children were taught using the same methods
Pepperberg devised to teach parrots, their response exceeded expectations.
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Pepperberg's implementation of the model rival technique has been used to successfully train several other parrots, such as
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in 1969, and brought one of her budgies there with her. She subsequently earned a master's degree in Chemistry in 1971 at
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level complexity brain would be adequate such as for image sorting. In recent years it was found that pigeons could sort
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131:, and she was one of the first to work on language learning in animals other than primate species (exemplified by the
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Pepperberg was married for more than twenty years to David Pepperberg, a neuroscientist. They divorced in 1997.
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Levenson, Richard M.; Krupinski, Elizabeth A.; Navarro, Victor M.; Wasserman, Edward A. (November 18, 2015).
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From work with the single subject Alex, Pepperberg and her colleagues have gone on to study additional
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740:"What Alex the Parrot Can Teach Us About Working With Children With Complex Communication Needs"
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Animal Cognition in Nature: The Convergence of Psychology and Biology in Laboratory and Field
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about animals and language, which influenced her to focus on that instead of chemistry.
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to be built without requiring as much resources, as for some applications a parrot or
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671:(First Harvest Edition 2006 ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 251.
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including "language, advanced social cognition, and elaborate forms of tool craft."
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Some researchers have suggested that studying avian cognition might allow a useful
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931:, by Shelley Batts, December 8, 2006, ScienceBlogs. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
912:, Nonprofit Organization Lookup, Melissa DATA Corp. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
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792:"African Grey Parrot is First Bird to Comprehend Numerical Concept Akin to Zero"
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999:) as Trainable Observers of Pathology and Radiology Breast Cancer Images"
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parrot, in the role of student, tries to reproduce the correct behavior.
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The Alex Studies: Cognitive and Communicative Abilities of Grey Parrots
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103:(born April 1, 1949) is an American scientist noted for her studies in
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Although parrots have long been known for their capacities in vocal
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Pepperberg is president of The Alex Foundation, a not-for-profit
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni
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69:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science (1969)
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Science's best known parrot died on September 6th, aged 31
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Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication
221:(2002–2013), where its bird laboratory was named for her.
119:. She is well known for her comparative studies into the
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by Russell P. Balda, Irene M. Pepperberg, A. C. Kamil.
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She earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry from the
115:. Pepperberg also serves on the Advisory Council of
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Scientist noted for her studies in animal cognition
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29:
922:"Friday Grey Matters: Irene Pepperberg Interview!"
217:(2004–2005) and an adjunct associate professor at
139:species. Pepperberg is also active in wildlife
1120:. Chedd-Angier Production Company. 2001–2002.
117:METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence)
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1208:American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent
1112:"Irene Pepperberg, on season 12, episode 1"
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548:"Profile: Irene Pepperberg & Alex Clip"
1203:American people of Romanian-Jewish descent
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581:. Brandeis University. September 10, 2007
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560:. 9 February 2011 – via PBS.org.
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215:Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
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776:. The Alex Foundation. Archived from
603:Royte, Elizabeth (November 7, 2008).
184:Massachusetts Institute of Technology
143:, especially in relation to parrots.
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886:"ApolloandFrens Channel Description"
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151:Born in 1949 as Irene Platzblatt in
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892:from the original on 22 June 2023
697:Teaching and Learning in Medicine
167:. Her mother's parents were from
1128:from the original on 2006-01-01.
968:"Pigeons Trained to Spot Cancer"
147:Early life, family and education
738:Fishman, Iris (December 2008).
575:"Alex the African Grey parrot"
107:, particularly in relation to
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1117:Scientific American Frontiers
884:ApolloandFrens (2021-10-14).
523:Pepperberg, Irene M. (2008).
1024:10.1371/journal.pone.0141357
372:by Irene Maxine Pepperberg.
135:project), by extension to a
1173:Brandeis University faculty
709:10.1207/S15328015TLM1204_10
494:"What's in a Bird's Brain?"
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1198:Jewish American scientists
1213:Harvard University alumni
863:10.1007/s13752-014-0199-2
400:, by Irene M. Pepperberg
91:Study of animal cognition
72:Harvard University (1971)
1188:Scientists from Brooklyn
1178:Harvard University staff
1163:Animal cognition writers
1137:If Only They Could Speak
910:The Alex Foundation Inc.
667:Grandin, Temple (2005).
171:, and her father's from
820:"Alex the African Grey"
605:"The Caged Bird Speaks"
556:. Season 5, Episode 4.
325:artificial intelligence
101:Irene Maxine Pepperberg
41:Irene Maxine Platzblatt
1061:Central Square Theater
669:Animals in Translation
458:"Dr. Irene Pepperberg"
948:. The Alex Foundation
277:Model/rival technique
211:University of Arizona
1141:Entertaining Parrots
828:. September 20, 2007
1193:Animal intelligence
1135:February 12, 1992;
1084:The Alex Foundation
1015:2015PLoSO..1041357L
756:10.1044/aac17.4.144
647:The Alex Foundation
641:Pepperberg, Irene.
462:The Alex Foundation
306:The Alex Foundation
219:Brandeis University
1139:January 20, 1999;
946:alexfoundation.org
927:2008-09-22 at the
774:alexfoundation.org
609:The New York Times
292:Clever Hans effect
188:Harvard University
57:Brooklyn, New York
851:Biological Theory
678:978-0-15-603144-8
429:Bird intelligence
354:Christopher Award
347:Awards and honors
113:Boston University
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1168:Ethologists
1158:1949 births
888:. YouTube.
652:January 12,
319:AI research
255:Clever Hans
247:instinctive
235:grey parrot
1152:Categories
1066:2024-03-31
995:"Pigeons (
896:2023-08-20
832:2009-01-19
506:2019-12-11
467:19 January
435:References
47:1949-04-01
18:Pepperberg
1109:Alex and
312:501(c)(3)
173:Lithuania
121:cognitive
63:Education
1126:Archived
1103:PBS Nova
1043:26581091
1003:PLOS ONE
925:Archived
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717:11273372
418:See also
271:necropsy
161:New York
153:Brooklyn
125:language
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1011:Bibcode
333:CT scan
231:mimicry
177:budgies
169:Romania
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1093:IMDb
1039:PMID
980:2019
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713:PMID
673:ISBN
654:2021
616:2019
587:2019
553:Nova
469:2024
402:ISBN
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374:ISBN
239:Alex
193:Nova
137:bird
127:and
37:Born
1122:PBS
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