{"id":38603,"date":"2023-12-12T16:11:40","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T22:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/?p=38603"},"modified":"2025-11-03T22:11:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T04:11:32","slug":"inside-dr-pepperbergs-lab-technology-companion-animals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/inside-dr-pepperbergs-lab-technology-companion-animals\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Technology And Companion Animals"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"two
Do piped-in soundtracks at zoos affect the animals? Photo by Nikola Johnny Mirkovic\/Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Recently, I edited a special issue of the journal Interaction Studies<\/em> on the subject of animal -computer interfaces. The papers centered on dogs and birds, only because two of the promised papers on, respectively, dolphins and apes failed to materialize. (Yes, editing a journal issue or a book is a bit like herding cats.)<\/p>\n

The published papers range from discussing some of the history of animal-computer interfaces, to the importance of taking the various animals\u2019 sensory and physical perspectives into account, to a study examining the use of a computer system to interact with dogs. I found the first set of issues particularly intriguing, especially as they might apply to parrots as our companions\u2014are we always doing the best thing for them when we introduce some form of technology into their lives?<\/p>\n

The Tech Effect<\/h3>\n

I want to begin with some of the history, starting with Skinner (1938) and his \u2018boxes\u2019 and work on what was labeled \u2018operant conditioning\u2019\u2026a way to teach nonhumans to perform certain actions and refrain from others based on the concepts of reward and punishment.<\/p>\n

A subject, somewhat food-deprived, would be placed in a box, devoid of anything but a few computer keys; if, for example, it saw a red light and then learned to press the red rather than the green key (i.e., learned \u201cmatch-to-sample\u201d), it got some pellets; if it pressed the green key, it could hear an unpleasant sound instead.<\/p>\n

Notably, Skinner\u2019s techniques and boxes weren\u2019t truly \u2018interfaces\u2019 directly designed for<\/em> the nonhuman subject\u2014that is, something that was innovated for the sole sake of the user\/subject, that improved the subject\u2019s well-being, that situated the subject as an eager participant\u2014but rather were mere advances in engineering that enabled humans to efficiently manipulate the subject\u2019s actions to perform a given task and, most importantly, were all for the sake of the human (i.e., to get data).<\/p>\n

I am not going to disabuse the importance of such techniques, because they have been adapted and are<\/em> extremely efficient in training certain basic behavior patterns (e.g., something like getting your bird to \u2018climb\u2019 on command, or other simple label-object\/action associations). But as I have written extensively elsewhere (Pepperberg, 2021), such training has limitations, as it cannot teach underlying cognitive concepts (e.g., that labels are symbols that can be manipulated and created and used in various non-trained ways for communication); observational learning is far more important for this latter type of instruction. Clearly, scientists\u2014and pet owners\u2014have come a long way since Skinner, based on our knowledge of the physical and psychological abilities and needs of our nonhuman subjects, but several articles in the special issue remind us that we still have a long way to go.<\/p>\n

Creating “Soundscapes”<\/h3>\n
\"baby
Studies show that birds who hear their mothers\u2019 vocalizations pre-hatching can, post-hatching, distinguish their mothers\u2019 vocalizations from those of other birds of the same species. Photo by Mariano Mollo\/Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One specific article, by Kleinberger (2023), brings our attention to the sound environment\u2014or the absence thereof\u2014in which various nonhumans, particularly birds, live. She makes us realize that we are often oblivious to what is important for avian well-being. I provide a few examples, with my own comments, below. (BTW\u2026no stranger to animal-computer interfaces, Kleinberger was also involved in designing the ZOOM-like communication system I discussed in an earlier blog<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

She describes a study in which she and colleagues arranged for maternal sounds to be piped into incubators so that birds still in the egg could hear the same sounds as they would if they were raised under their mother in a nest. Other studies have shown that birds who hear their mothers\u2019 vocalizations pre-hatching can, post-hatching, distinguish their mothers\u2019 vocalizations from those of other birds of the same species. These studies introduce a serious issue: When we raise parrot chicks in what are essentially soundproof incubators, are we preventing some important developmental stage (e.g., sound pattern recognition) from occurring? We have no idea, and Kleinberger presents the technology that may help us discover that information.<\/p>\n

She also looks at the soundscape to which nonhumans are exposed in places like zoos, but that could have relevance for our companion parrots. Just think for a moment of a zoo you might have visited, where environmental designers decided that having various continuous (often blaring) \u2018theme park\u2019 sounds provide a cheery background for patrons, to enhance their mood and encourage them to remain longer, maybe to stay and eat a meal or purchase souvenirs.<\/p>\n

A human visitor, however, spends a relatively short time in the zoo. Can you imagine having to listen to such sounds hour after hour, day after day, for your entire life? What if zookeepers decide to pipe in what they believe are natural sounds from the wild to make the experience seem more realistic\u2026but what happens if sounds that are chosen inadvertently contain those of predators or alarm calls that provoke anxiety and fear?<\/p>\n

Kleinberger discusses these situations, and I bring them up because I know that some people turn on a radio or TV when leaving their homes, so that the bird will not be \u2018alone\u2019\u2026but might such a soundscape really be soothing? Might something come on that causes anxiety or fear? Might the bird spend much of the time calling for their human companions, thinking that they are present? Maybe a well-curated playlist that is constantly being updated\u2014and over which the bird has some control over its presentation\u2014would be more appropriate? Kleinberger discusses a form of this type of technology as well.<\/p>\n

Clearly, humans know from their own interactions with technology that it can be a great assistant or present serious problems. We need to extend that knowledge to our use of technology for nonhumans as well!<\/p>\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kleinberger, R. (2023). Sonic enrichment at the zoo. Interaction Studies<\/em>, 24: 257-288.<\/p>\n

Pepperberg, I.M. (2021). A review of the Model\/Rival (M\/R) technique for training interspecies communication and its use in behavioral research. Animals<\/em> 11, 2479.<\/p>\n

Pepperberg, I.M. (2023). An introduction to \u201cAnimal-computer interfaces: Novel approaches for studying animal behavior, cognition and communication\u201d Interaction Studies<\/em>, 24:193-200.<\/p>\n

Skinner, B. F. (1938). The behavior of organisms: An experimental analysis<\/em>. Appleton-Century.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In her latest blog, Dr. Irene Pepperberg explores the delicate question: What technologies help animals thrive versus the benefits to us and our ability to control them? For example, from the animals’ perspective, do piped-in soundtracks at zoo habitats make the animals feel at home, or are they played to enhance the experience for zoo visitors? Should you leave the radio or TV on when you leave home so your bird doesn\u2019t feel alone? Read on for Dr. Pepperberg\u2019s overview of the tech effect on animals. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":45873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,211,171],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-behavior","category-editor-choice","category-everyday"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nInside Dr. Pepperberg's Lab: Technology And Companion Animals – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In her latest blog, Dr. Irene Pepperberg explores the delicate question: What technologies help animals thrive versus the benefits to us and our ability to control them? 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You can help Dr. Pepperberg continue the groundbreaking parrot research she began more than 30 years ago with Alex, the African grey parrot who won admirers from around the world with his cognitive abilities. If you shop online through sites such as Amazon.com, you can designate the Alex Foundation to receive a percentage of your final sales, or register with the Alex Foundation at iGive.com and a percentage of sales from companies associated with iGive will go to the foundation. The Alex Foundation also has a \u201cDonate\u201d button linked to PayPal. Visit\u00a0The Alex Foundation\u00a0and click on the \u201cSupport Us\u201d link for more information. Read more about the lab at The Alex Foundation Facebook page and at The Alex Foundation Twitter account.","url":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/author\/irene\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38603"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45876,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38603\/revisions\/45876"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/pet-birds\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}