Steven R. Wilkes
Papers
1
Total Citations
37
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1
About
Steven R. Wilkes has made foundational contributions to the study of referential vocal learning in grey parrots, an area central to understanding the cognitive and social prerequisites for language acquisition. His most-cited work, a 2004 study, demonstrated that grey parrots do not acquire referential English labels when tutored via LCD video, even under conditions designed to maximize attention and motivation—such as social isolation, reward for attempted labels, and live video feeds to prevent habituation. This finding, cited 37 times, provided critical evidence that live social interaction is essential for referential vocal learning in this species, challenging assumptions about the sufficiency of passive exposure. Wilkes’s research has shaped debates on the role of social context in animal cognition and has informed experimental design in comparative psychology. His work underscores the importance of ecological validity in studies of vocal learning and has influenced subsequent investigations into the mechanisms of communication in non-human animals.
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