Use of guidance in teaching sign language to a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).

Abstract

Taught a young female chimpanzee 12 signs of the American Sign Language using either molding (physically "molding" the hands and arms into the appropriate position), imitation, or freestyle (a combination) as the method of training. All 4 of the signs in both freestyle and molding were acquired within 4 training sessions but only 1 of the signs in imitation in the 4 training sessions. After another 4 training sessions without acquisition of the remaining 3 signs, the method of training was changed from imitation to molding and acquisition occurred within 4 additional sessions. An additional 18 signs were taught in Exp. II using molding (Sessions 1 and 2)-imitation (Sessions 3 and 4) and imitation (Sessions 1 and 2)-molding (Sessions 3 and 4). All 9 of the signs in molding-imitation, but only 1 in imitation-molding, were acquired during the 1st 2 training sessions. The remaining 8 signs in imitation-molding were acquired on the 3rd training session. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)