Viki, a Chimpanzee, Can Produce Only Four Indistinct Words of Spoken

question 9

Essay

Viki, a chimpanzee, can produce only four indistinct words of spoken English, whereas Alex, a parrot, can clearly pronounce more than 100 words. Can we conclude from this that Alex's linguistic capabilities are superior to Viki's? Why or why not?

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Definitions:

Faulty Memory

The inaccuracies or distortions in a person's recollection of events, also referred to as memory errors.

Learned

Acquired knowledge or skill through education, experience, or being taught.

Misinformation Effect

A phenomenon where a person's recall of episodic memories becomes less accurate due to post-event information being introduced.

Drunken Driving

The act of operating a motor vehicle while impaired by the effects of alcohol.