Irene Pepperberg facts for kids

Irene Pepperberg, born on April 1, 1949, is an American scientist. She is famous for studying how animals think and learn, especially parrots. She has taught and researched at many universities. Currently, she is a professor at Boston University.

Dr. Pepperberg is well known for her studies on how animals learn language and communicate. She was one of the first scientists to show that birds, not just primates like chimpanzees, could learn to use language. She is also active in helping to protect wild parrots.

Early Life and Learning

Irene Platzblatt was born in 1949 in Brooklyn, New York City. She was an only child. Her father was a biochemist and a middle school teacher. Her parents were born in America, but their families came from Romania and Lithuania. When she was very young, Irene loved to own and train budgies, which are small pet birds.

She earned her first college degree in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1969. She even brought one of her budgies with her to MIT! Later, she earned a master's degree in Chemistry in 1971 from Harvard University. She then got her PhD in Chemical Physics from Harvard in 1976.

During her PhD studies, she watched a TV show called Nova. It was about animals and language. This show made her want to study animals and language instead of chemistry.

Her Amazing Research Work

Parrots have always been known for copying sounds. But Dr. Pepperberg wanted to show that parrots could use sounds in a way that was like human language. She worked closely with a single grey parrot named Alex.

Dr. Pepperberg reported that Alex learned many words. He used them in a very smart way, often like a four-year-old child. Alex could understand words for objects, colors, shapes, and materials.

Dr. Pepperberg and her team wanted to show that Alex could understand what words meant and how to use them correctly. This meant his way of talking was different from the simple, natural ways animals usually communicate. Some people might not agree with these findings. Also, working with just one animal can sometimes lead to the "Clever Hans" effect. This is when an animal seems smart but is actually picking up on small clues from its trainer. However, Dr. Pepperberg's work has helped show that humans might not be the only ones who can use complex language. She even thought that grey parrots might be as smart as primates in some ways.

Some researchers believe that the way Dr. Pepperberg taught Alex could help children with autism or other learning challenges. This method might help them learn language, numbers, and how to understand others' feelings. When some children with autism were taught using Alex's methods, they learned even better than expected.

After working with Alex, Dr. Pepperberg and her team started studying other grey parrots. They also studied parrots of different species. Some other famous parrots in her research were Griffin, Arthur, and Athena. Alex sadly passed away on September 6, 2007. He seemed healthy the day before. Scientists could not find a clear reason for his death.

The Model/Rival Technique

Dr. Pepperberg used a special way of teaching called the model/rival technique. Here is how it works:

• Two trainers are involved.
• One trainer gives instructions.
• The other trainer acts as a "model" for the correct answers. They also act as a "rival" for the first trainer's attention.
• The model and the first trainer switch roles. This shows the parrot that everyone is involved.
• The parrot, acting as the student, tries to copy the correct behavior.

Using this method, Alex learned to identify objects by their color, shape, number, and what they were made of. He was as good at this as chimpanzees and dolphins. His language skills were like those of a 2-year-old child. He could solve problems like a 5-year-old. When he passed away, Alex was learning the alphabet. He knew 150 words and the names of 50 objects. He could also count up to eight and answer questions about objects.

Some people thought Alex was just repeating words without understanding. Dr. Pepperberg explained that her tests made it impossible for him to just recite words. She said the "Clever Hans effect" did not apply. This was because Alex would talk to anyone, not just her. Other scientists have used Dr. Pepperberg's ideas to explain how humans developed language and other smart behaviors.

This model/rival technique has been used to successfully train other parrots, like Apollo.

The Alex Foundation

Dr. Pepperberg is the president of The Alex Foundation. This is a non-profit organization that she started. The foundation helps support Dr. Pepperberg and her team's research. In 2006, Dr. Pepperberg said that the foundation was her only source of money for research. The Alex Foundation raises money through donations and by selling parrot-related gifts.

Awards and Books

• 2009, Christopher Award, for her book Alex & Me

Dr. Pepperberg has written several books about her research:

• The Alex Studies: Cognitive and Communicative Abilities of Grey Parrots
• Animal Cognition in Nature: The Convergence of Psychology and Biology in Laboratory and Field
• Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process

Her life story and work with Alex also inspired a play called Beyond Words.

See also

• Bird intelligence
• Irene Pepperberg para niños (Irene Pepperberg for kids in Spanish)