Washoe (chimpanzee) - Self-awareness and Emotion

Self-awareness and Emotion

One of Washoe's caretakers was pregnant and missed work for many weeks after she miscarried. Roger Fouts recounts the following situation:

"People who should be there for her and aren't are often given the cold shoulder--her way of informing them that she's miffed at them. Washoe greeted Kat in just this way when she finally returned to work with the chimps. Kat made her apologies to Washoe, then decided to tell her the truth, signing "MY BABY DIED." Washoe stared at her, then looked down. She finally peered into Kat's eyes again and carefully signed "CRY", touching her cheek and drawing her finger down the path a tear would make on a human. (Chimpanzees don't shed tears.) Kat later remarked that one sign told her more about Washoe and her mental capabilities than all her longer, grammatically perfect sentences."

(Note: Washoe herself lost two children; one baby died shortly after birth of a heart defect, the other baby, Sequoyah, died of a staph infection at two months of age.)

When Washoe was shown an image of herself in the mirror, and asked what she was seeing, she replied: "Me, Washoe." Primate expert Jane Goodall, who has studied and lived with chimpanzees for decades, believes that this might indicate some level of self awareness. Washoe experienced an identity crisis when she was first introduced to other chimpanzees. She was shocked to learn that she was not human, but gradually came to accept that she was a chimpanzee, and to enjoy associating with other chimps.

Washoe also enjoyed playing pretend with her dolls, which she would bathe and talk to and would act out imaginary scenarios.

When new students came to work with Washoe, she would slow down her rate of signing for novice speakers of sign language, which had a humbling effect on many of them.