Washoe : apes and sign language

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The story of Washoe has become a landmark in the study of psychology. This documentary--filmed by the researcher themselves in their laboratory over a period of years--traces the life and accomplis...

The story of Washoe has become a landmark in the study of psychology. This documentary--filmed by the researcher themselves in their laboratory over a period of years--traces the life and accomplishments of the first chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) to communicate with humans and other apes via sign language. We see Washoe raised like a child by two psychologists studying the influence of human interaction on simians. Their experiment, without precedent, follows Washoe from her first use of sign language with her human parents to her role as sign language teacher with her son and other apes. One sequence documents all of the chimps communicating freely without outside prompting.

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