* Early Exposure: Koko was exposed to sign language from a very young age, starting at around one year old.
* Imitation and Reinforcement: Patterson used a combination of sign language, spoken English, and objects to teach Koko. Koko learned by imitating Patterson's signs and receiving positive reinforcement (rewards) for correct responses.
* Consistent Interaction: Patterson spent countless hours communicating with Koko, both through sign language and other forms of interaction. This constant exposure and practice were crucial to Koko's language acquisition.
* Natural Ability and Motivation: It's important to acknowledge that Koko demonstrated a natural aptitude for learning sign language. She was highly motivated to communicate and seemed to enjoy the process of learning and using signs.
* Emergent Language: Koko's ability to combine signs to form novel expressions and to understand abstract concepts like "same" and "different" indicated that she was not simply mimicking but developing her own form of language.
It's important to note that Koko's language skills were unique and still debated among researchers. While she demonstrated a remarkable ability to learn and use sign language, it's important to avoid attributing human-like cognitive abilities to her. However, her case provided invaluable insights into the communication abilities of non-human primates.