"Language is a uniquely human ability." Evaluate this statement with respect to existing animal communication systems and provide research evidence for why the statement may be incorrect and why it may be correct.

What will be an ideal response?


The answer to this question depends on your definition of language and the mechanisms underlying language. Student answers should include information about language development in chimpanzees, which includes a large vocabulary and the ability to sign sentences; additionally, their linguistic abilities reach those of about a two- to three-year-old. Arguments against should include that only humans are capable of creating an infinite number of new sentences, which chimpanzees and gorillas cannot. Also, chimpanzees and gorillas do not use syntax or grammatical rules, and only humans have asymmetry in the brain, with the left hemisphere having a specialized role in language. Only humans can truly produce complex, grammatically correct patterns of communication.

Psychology

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Which type of need must be met first according to Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

A. Belongingness and love B. Esteem C. Safety D. Physiological

Psychology

The transition to a new school setting often leads to a raise in grades and involvement in activities.

Answer the following statement true (T) or false (F)

Psychology

Rats that are raised in a complex environment have more synapses and longer dendrites in their brains than rats raised in a simpler environment. These differences in the rats' brains due to environmental experiences illustrate the brain's

a. saltatory conduction. b. resiliency. c. neuroplasticity. d. neurogenesis.

Psychology

Charles S. Sherrington was the first to infer the properties of ____.

A. synapses B. the refractory period C. the sodium-potassium pump D. dendrites and axons

Psychology