Chimpanzee's language-like skill having a two-level structure comparable to the duality in human language.

通过对黑猩猩掌握的类语言技能的研究，讨论了黑猩猩的认知功能。以雌性黑猩猩“爱”为研究对象。1978年4月该项目开始时，她的年龄估计约为1.5岁。实验采用计算机控制的控制台终端。“词”由几何图形或阿拉伯数字等视觉符号表示。其中一些可以分解成9个基本数字，称为“字素”。每个符号和每个字素都绘制在一个键上，并将出现在控制台最大的15 × 7键矩阵上的不同位置。黑猩猩学会了给各种物体命名。11个颜色。还有从1到6的数字。他特别喜欢用两种顺序（对象/颜色/数字和颜色/对象/数字）来命名指称物的三个属性，例如“五支红铅笔”。在命名新项目时，继续使用最受欢迎的顺序。黑猩猩还学会了通过组合相应的字素来构建“单词”。这些结果表明，黑猩猩的语言类技能具有两层结构，与人类语言的二元结构相当。有些实验在没有直接食物奖励的情况下进行。黑猩猩和人类的认知能力可以使用相同的仪器和遵循相同的程序进行研究。尽管这两个物种在视觉感觉和知觉上没有根本的区别。在高级认知功能（如自嵌入规则的习得）中发现了差异。从认知功能的层次结构的深度方面讨论了两个物种之间的差异。

Cognitive function in chimpanzees was discussed, referring to studies on language-like skills mastered by chimpanzees. Ai, a female chimpanzee, served as the main subject in the present study. When the project started in April. 1978, her age was estimated to be about 1.5 years. A computer-controlled console terminal was used in the experiments. 'Words' were represented by visual symbols such as geometric figures or Arabic numerals. Some of them could be disassembled into nine fundamental figures called 'graphemes'. Each symbol and each grapheme were drawn on a key and would appear in various positions on a maximal l5x7 key matrix on the console. The chimpanzee learned to name various objects. 11 colors. and the numbers from one to six. Ai favored two sequences (Object/Color/Number and Color/Object/Number) in particular when naming the three attributes of a referent, for example, "five red pencils". The favored sequences continued to be used when naming new items. The chimpanzee also learned to construct the 'words' by assembling their corresponding graphemes. These results show the chimpanzee's language -like skill as having a two-level structure comparable to the duality in human language. Some of the experiments were carried out without direct food reward. The cognitive abilities of chimpanzees and humans can be studied using the same apparatus and following the same procedures. Although there was no fundamental difference between the two species in visual sensation and perception. a difference was found among the higher cognitive functions such as the acquisition of self-embedding rules. The differences found between the two species was discussed in terms of the depth of hierarchical structure in cognitive function.