The Winter Conference on Animal Learning and Behavior will convene in Winter Park, Colorado from Saturday, January 28, through Wednesday, February 1, 2012. If you are interested in attending WCALB 2012, we need your small refundable deposit by October 15, 2011 to know how many condominiums to reserve. See instructions under "DEPOSITS" section below.
2012 KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Project Nim. The Untold Story
Herb Terrace
Columbia University
Abstract--In the mid-70’s, I directed a project at Columbia University to teach Nim, an infant chimpanzee, to use American Sign Language. Project Nim, a documentary that opened on July 8, loosely describes the project. It shows Nim interacting with his teachers after he arrived from his birthplace at the Primate Institute in Norman, Oklahoma when he was two weeks old. Viewers would have to close their eyes not to appreciate Nim’s loveable personality and his endearing antics. But, unfortunately, they would be hard pressed to see the science on which the project was based.
That’s because the documentary pointedly avoided that topic, -which is a shame because the project provided important scientific insights into what chimpanzees can tell us about humanity. The project’s goal was to determine whether a non-human primate could learn to use grammatical rules to create particular meanings, the essence of language. Positive evidence of Nim’s grammatical ability would undermine the claim of human uniqueness in the animal kingdom. Negative evidence would raise the question, “Why can’t a chimpanzee learn a grammatical language?” My talk today addresses that question and also outlines what there is about the evolution of humans that made them specifically equipped to learn language.
Herbert Terrace obtained his PhD at Harvard University in 1961 with B.F. Skinner. Until 1972, he investigated discrimination learning with and without errors in pigeons. In 1972 he began a new project whose goal was to teach sign language to a one-month old chimpanzee (Nim Chimpsky). After painstaking analyses of videotapes, Terrace concluded that most of Nim’s signs were prompted by his trainers and/or imitative of their most recent signs. More recently, he has been concerned with how an animal thinks without language, with one of his goals distinguishing between problem solving and social factors in explaining how language evolved. He is currently writing a book, Why Two Minds are Better than One: Some Missing Links in the Evolution of Language.
FOCUS SESSION
Theory of Mind: Current Status of the Controversy
This Focus Session related to the Keynote Address is being organized. The format will be up to 25-minute presentations followed by discussion among participants. Let me (sweiss@american.edu) know if you would like to join that session.
Recent WCALB Focus sessions have been concerned with:
Bi-directional Links Between Obesity & Learning & Memory Dysfunction (2011)
Rational Rats: Causal Inference and Reality Monitoring (2010)
Economic Demand, Reinforcer Essential Value and Drug Addiction (2009)
Remembering and Anticipating Events in Time (2008)
Modeling Data: From Description & Significance to Behavior & Theories (2007)
The Question of Animal Consciousness and Cognition (2006)
Choice in Humans and other Animals (2005)
Associative Mechanisms and Drug-Related Behavior (2004)
Learning, Choice and Context Effects (2003).
The 2004 Focus Session was, and the 2010 Focus Session will soon be, published, as Special Issues of the International Journal of Comparative Psychology.
MEETING, WINTER PARK AND ACCOMMODATIONS
The Winter Conference is a friendly and informal meeting that provides an opportunity to combine intensive, scientifically rigorous discussions on a variety of topics related to animal conditioning, behavior and learning with skiing at one of Colorado's premier ski areas, Winter Park. The breadth of WCALB paper sessions that reflect the research interests of participants can be seen in recent programs posted on the website. All participants are invited to make a presentation and suggest topics. Graduate students are welcome, and can make presentations with the written recommendation of their advisor.
There is downhill skiing for all skill levels, up to black diamond, as well as exciting cross-country skiing in the Arapaho National Forest, Devil's Thumb and Snow Mountain Ranch. The majestic snow-covered Rockies in winter are breathtaking.
The all inclusive cost for registration, four nights in a shared Snowblaze condominium, an opening buffet reception, snacks during sessions and a dinner at a fine restaurant in Winter Park is only $360 per person or $720 per couple (couples have their own room, usually with private bath, in a condo). The Snowblaze is located in Winter Park near restaurants and shops. It has an excellent health club with sauna, steam room, hot tub, pool, weight room and handball courts. All units have complete kitchens.
A family can have an entire 2-bedroom condominium unit for $1,080 plus $100 for each person over three. The 2-bedroom units each sleep up to six people if a convertible sofa in the living room is used. All family members are invited to the opening buffet reception, Conference dinner and sessions.
DEPOSITS
We will be in the Colorado Rockies just a week before the prime ski season starts. Therefore, condominiums need to be reserved early. If you think you would like to attend WCALB 2012, please let me (sweiss@american.edu) know ASAP by e-mail and send your refundable (until November 30) deposit ($50 per person, $100 per couple, $200 per family) by October 15, 2011.
Make deposit checks out to Stanley Weiss, WCALB with “WCALB 2012" in the lower left corner. Final payment is due November 30, 2011, when receipts will be sent. Until that date, your deposit can be returned if conditions develop that prevent you from attending the Conference. But timely deposits are very important for appropriate planning and to ensure we reserve enough condominiums.
Please send your deposits to:
Stan Weiss, Convener
Winter Conference on Animal Learning & Behavior
Department of Psychology
American University
Washington, DC 20016
Accommodations at the indicated rates cannot be guaranteed once the reserved condo units are filled. We will do our best to include late registrants in the Conference, but often they have had to pay substantially more for their accommodations because they couldn't be housed in a reserved condominium. Therefore, if you are interested in attending the Conference let me know soon and send your refundable (until November 30) deposit by October 15, 2011. A CALL for presentations will go out to registered participants by mid December. If you have any questions or suggestions, contact me at sweiss@american.edu.
Hope to see you in Winter Park!
Stan
WCALB 2012 Organizing and Program Committee
Stan Weiss (Convener) <sweiss@american.edu>
Rick Bevins <rbevins1@unl.edu>
Cody Brooks <brooksc@denison.edu>
Kevin Myers < kmyers@bucknell.edu>
Mark Reilly <reill1mp@cmich.edu>
Bill Timberlake <timberla@indiana.edu>
Stanley J. WeissProfessor of Experimental PsychologyAmerican UniversityWashington, D. C. 20016
Phone: 202-885-1724Fax: 202-885-1023e-mail: sweiss@american.edu
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