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Koko Human Behavior

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After doing research, I do not believe that Koko can communicate as humans do. It is evident that she cannot surpass basic words or thoughts when she is attempting to sign. While she does correctly use certain signs, Koko is on a communicative level without underlying background knowledge of semantics and syntax. Decontextualized language, the capability to speak about ideas that aren’t in the immediate environment, is a skill that she lacks. Koko is not able to talk about the past or future, abstract ideas, or reasoning behind things happening. She is able to associate certain signs with objects, and does certainly get some correct, but her handlers are very generous with their interpretations of what they believe she says. In Koko’s AOL transcript
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