6533b827fe1ef96bd12867d7
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Samuel Fernberger's rejected doctoral dissertation: A neglected resource for the history of ape research in America.
Donald A. Dewsburysubject
MaleAcademic Dissertations as TopicHistoryBehavior AnimalPan troglodytesPunishmentmedia_common.quotation_subjectBehavioral patternHistory 20th CenturyUnited StatesEpistemologyComprehensionPongo pygmaeusPerceptionAnimalsPersonalityFemaleAnimal cognitionImitationPsychologyGeneral PsychologyConscienceBehavioral Researchmedia_commonCognitive psychologydescription
I summarize a never-completed 1911 doctoral dissertation on ape behavior by Samuel Fernberger of the University of Pennsylvania. Included are observations on many behavioral patterns including sensory and perceptual function, learning, memory, attention, imagination, personality, and emotion in an orangutan and two chimpanzees. There are examples of behavior resembling insight, conscience, tool use and imitation. Language comprehension was good but speech production was minimal. The document appears to contradict a brief published article on the project by William Furness in that punishment was frequently used. The document is important for understanding Fernberger's early career, for anticipations of later research, and for understanding the status of ape research at the time.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-07-08 | History of Psychology |