Savage-Rumbaugh et al (1986) Quiz

In the study, Kanzi and Mulika's language acquisition was compared to two 'common' chimpanzees. What were they called?
1. Astin and Simon
2. Dustin and Sherlock
3. Austin and Sherman
4. Justin and Herman
This study has been criticised in terms of ethical problems. There are reports of the chimpanzees getting frustrated with the constant testing. How was this frustration shown by the chimpanzees?
1. They would beat their fists on their chests.
2. They would turn their backs on the researchers.
3. They would throw the lexigram across the room.
4. They would scratch themselves all over.
In what way do pygmy chimpanzees (bonobos) such as Kanzi differ from other great apes?
1. In their social communication such as eye contact, gestures and vocalisations.
2. In their physical agility such as how easily they move around their habitat.
3. In their physical appearance - they look more like humans than other apes.
4. In their eating habits - they will not share their food with other members of their group.
The data for this study was collected from an in-depth longitudinal study. Over what period of time was data collected?
1. 15 years
2. 10 years
3. 2 months
4. 12 years
One strength of this study is considered to be that it has high ecological validity. Why did the study have high ecological validity?
1. Kanzi and Mulika had to hunt and gather their own food.
2. Kanzi and the researchers would roam from place to place in the land around the centre.
3. All of the chimpanzees lived with their mothers whilst participating in the language acquisition programme.
4. All four of the chimpanzees were in an observational setting with little intervention from the researchers.
Why didn't Austin and Sherman's lexigram have a speech synthesiser like Kanzi and Mulika's?
1. The researchers ran out of funding and couldn't afford another one.
2. They were both deaf so wouldn't benefit from hearing spoken words.
3. The researchers wanted to see if this would affect their ability to acquire language.
4. They did not understand spoken English words.
One way in which the chimpanzees' language acquisition was tested was by using blind tests. What is a blind test?
1. The experimenter must wear a blindfold so that the chimpanzees cannot pick up on any cues from their facial expressions.
2. The use of an experimenter who does not know the details of a study and so cannot influence the outcome.
3. The experimenters must be blind so that they are not biased in their judgement.
4. The experimenter tests the chimpanzees in the dark to stop any bias occurring.
The main medium of communication used with all four chimpanzees was a visual symbol system consisting of geometric symbols that brighten when touched. What is this called?
1. A keyboard
2. A speech synthesiser
3. A lexigram
4. A computer
This study is described as having a quasi-experimental design. What was the naturally occurring independent variable?
1. The species of chimpanzee being studied
2. The language acquisition of the different chimpanzees
3. Whether the chimpanzees were spoken to in English or Welsh
4. Sherman and Austin were in a training setting, whereas Kanzi and Mulika were in an observational setting.
What was the main conclusion of Savage-Rumbaugh et al's research?
1. That pygmy chimpanzees exhibit symbolic and auditory perceptual skills that are distinctly different from those of common chimpanzees.
2. That pygmy chimpanzees form a stronger attachment to their carers than the common chimpanzees.
3. That the common chimpanzees were better at understanding and using American Sign Language than the pygmy chimpanzees.
4. That the common chimpanzees acquired language more easily than the pygmy chimpanzees.

Savage-Rumbaugh et al (1986) Quiz

Multi-choice