Can Pigeons Really Read

The video explores a 2016 study on pigeons' ability to recognize words, a process known as orthographic processing. Pigeons were trained to distinguish real words from gibberish, similar to a previous study on baboons. The study found that pigeons could recognize words and even identify transposed letters, indicating a level of orthographic processing. However, pigeons lack other reading processes like phonological and semantic processing. The study suggests that the human brain's reading capabilities may have evolved from older functions related to visual recognition, supporting the neuronal recycling hypothesis.

What was the main focus of the 2016 study on pigeons?

• Teaching pigeons to speak

• Training pigeons to recognize words

• Studying pigeons' flight patterns

• Observing pigeons' social behavior

What is the transposed letter effect observed in pigeons?

• Pigeons can read entire sentences

• Pigeons can distinguish between similar words

• Pigeons can solve complex puzzles

• Pigeons can mimic human speech

Which of the following is NOT a process involved in human reading?

• Orthographic processing

• Phonological processing

• Semantic processing

• Avian processing

What hypothesis suggests that the brain's reading area evolved from an older function?

• Visual recognition hypothesis

• Evolutionary adaptation hypothesis

• Neuronal recycling hypothesis

• Cognitive development hypothesis

What does the pigeon study suggest about the visual systems of different species?

• They are irrelevant to reading

• They are unique to each species

• They can adapt to recognize words

• They are identical across all species