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Robert Allen Gardner (1930-2021).

Heidi L Shaw¹, Mary Lee Abshire Jensvold²

¹Yakima Valley College.

The American Psychologist

|February 10, 2022

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Robert Allen Gardner pioneered cross-fostering studies, enabling chimpanzees to learn American Sign Language. His research demonstrated early success in teaching language to nonhuman primates, including Washoe.

Area of Science:

Primate cognition
Animal communication
Psycholinguistics

Background:

Robert Allen Gardner (1930-2021) was a pioneering researcher in animal cognition.
He and his wife, Beatrix Gardner, are renowned for their work with Washoe, the first chimpanzee to learn American Sign Language (ASL).
Their research explored the potential for nonhuman primates to acquire human language.

Purpose of the Study:

To memorialize the contributions of Robert Allen Gardner to the field of psychology and animal cognition.
To highlight the significance of the Gardners' cross-fostering project with chimpanzees and ASL acquisition.
To acknowledge Gardner's role in establishing the Center for Advanced Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Main Methods:

Conducted groundbreaking cross-fostering studies with infant chimpanzees.

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Utilized American Sign Language (ASL) as the primary mode of communication.

Replicated early successes with multiple chimpanzees beyond the initial subject, Washoe.

Main Results:

Demonstrated that chimpanzees, starting with Washoe, could learn and use American Sign Language.
Successfully replicated language acquisition in four additional infant chimpanzees through cross-fostering.
Provided foundational evidence for the linguistic capabilities of nonhuman primates.

Conclusions:

The Gardners' work significantly advanced the understanding of interspecies communication.
Chimpanzees possess the capacity to learn aspects of human language, challenging previous assumptions.
Robert Allen Gardner's legacy includes pioneering research in primate language acquisition and cognitive studies.