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Differences in the Ability of Apes and Children to Instruct Others Using Gestures

Publication ,  Journal Article
Grosse, K; Call, J; Carpenter, M; Tomasello, M
Published in: Language Learning and Development
October 2, 2015

In all human cultures, people gesture iconically. However, the evolutionary basis of iconic gestures is unknown. In this study, chimpanzees and bonobos, and 2- and 3-year-old children, learned how to operate two apparatuses to get rewards. Then, at test, only a human adult had access to the apparatuses, and participants could instruct her about how to obtain the rewards. Children frequently produced appropriate iconic gestures, but with the exception of one human-raised chimpanzee, great apes did not gesture iconically. However, chimpanzees pointed to a reward outside the apparatus in another experimental condition, showing their motivation and ability to communicate with the human to request it. They also manipulated a duplicate apparatus in appropriate ways, though it was unclear if they did this to communicate with the human. Although great apes may have some of the prerequisite skills involved, iconic gestures come naturally to humans in a way that they do not for great apes.

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Published In

Language Learning and Development

DOI

EISSN

1547-3341

ISSN

1547-5441

Publication Date

October 2, 2015

Volume

11

Issue

4

Start / End Page

310 / 330

Related Subject Headings

  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
  • 4704 Linguistics
  • 2004 Linguistics
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 0801 Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing
 

Citation

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MLA
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Grosse, K., Call, J., Carpenter, M., & Tomasello, M. (2015). Differences in the Ability of Apes and Children to Instruct Others Using Gestures. Language Learning and Development, 11(4), 310–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/15475441.2014.955246
Grosse, K., J. Call, M. Carpenter, and M. Tomasello. “Differences in the Ability of Apes and Children to Instruct Others Using Gestures.” Language Learning and Development 11, no. 4 (October 2, 2015): 310–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/15475441.2014.955246.
Grosse K, Call J, Carpenter M, Tomasello M. Differences in the Ability of Apes and Children to Instruct Others Using Gestures. Language Learning and Development. 2015 Oct 2;11(4):310–30.
Grosse, K., et al. “Differences in the Ability of Apes and Children to Instruct Others Using Gestures.” Language Learning and Development, vol. 11, no. 4, Oct. 2015, pp. 310–30. Scopus, doi:10.1080/15475441.2014.955246.
Grosse K, Call J, Carpenter M, Tomasello M. Differences in the Ability of Apes and Children to Instruct Others Using Gestures. Language Learning and Development. 2015 Oct 2;11(4):310–330.

Published In

Language Learning and Development

DOI

EISSN

1547-3341

ISSN

1547-5441

Publication Date

October 2, 2015

Volume

11

Issue

4

Start / End Page

310 / 330

Related Subject Headings

  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
  • 4704 Linguistics
  • 2004 Linguistics
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 0801 Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing