In Regard to Their Ability to Learn Language, Nonhuman Primates

question 112

Multiple Choice

In regard to their ability to learn language, nonhuman primates

• A) have essentially no ability to learn how to use words to communicate.
• B) can learn vocabulary and symbol combinations, but the communicative system they can acquire is not generally considered to be a language.
• C) naturally use language to communicate with other members of their species, although their languages are not as complex as human languages.
• D) do not have the vocal apparatus for producing speech, but when they are taught a sign language, they are able to learn a complex language.

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Definitions:

Dispositionally

Pertaining to or resulting from one's inherent qualities of mind and character.

Self-serving Bias

A common cognitive bias where individuals attribute positive outcomes to their own actions but blame external factors for negative outcomes.

Dispositional Explanation

An attribution that ascribes behavior to innate qualities of the individual, such as personality traits or temperaments, rather than to external circumstances.

Situational Explanation

The interpretation of behavior or events based on the context or circumstances in which they occur, rather than attributing them to personal traits.