The Inferential Transmission of Language
| Autor: | Smith, Andrew D M |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2005 |
| Předmět: |
Language identification
Language change Computer science Inference Experimental and Cognitive Psychology Meaning inference computer.software_genre Language evolution 01 natural sciences 010305 fluids & plasmas 030507 speech-language pathology & audiology 03 medical and health sciences Behavioral Neuroscience 0103 physical sciences Cognitive science business.industry Object language Comprehension approach Bootstrapping (linguistics) Language acquisition Artificial intelligence 0305 other medical science business Cultural transmission Cross-situational learning computer Natural language processing Meaning (linguistics) |
| Zdroj: | Adaptive Behavior. 13:311-324 |
| ISSN: | 1741-2633 1059-7123 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/105971230501300402 |
| Popis: | Language is a symbolic, culturally transmitted system of communication, which is learnt through the inference of meaning. In this paper, I describe the importance of meaning inference, not only in language acquisition, but also in developing a unified explanation for language change and evolution. Using an agent-based computational model of meaning creation and communication, I show how the meanings of words can be inferred through disambiguation across multiple contexts, using cross-situational statistical learning. I demonstrate that the uncertainty inherent in the process of meaning inference, moreover, leads to stable variation in both conceptual and lexical structure, providing evidence which helps to explain how language changes rapidly without losing communicability. Finally, I describe how an inferential model of communication may provide important theoretical insights into plausible explanations of the bootstrapping of, and the subsequent progressive complexification of, cultural communication systems. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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