Post on 24-Feb-2016
description
Systematicity is Triggered by Semantic Proximity not Density
T. Mark Ellison, Nicolas FayPsychology, University of Western Australia
Ellison & Fay
Language Origins
EHBEA 2014
la Société n'admet aucune communication concernant, soit l'origine du langage …Société de linguistique de Paris (1866)
Ellison & Fay
What’s Different
EHBEA 2014
1866 NowModern Languages More (about) Modern LanguagesAncient Languages More (about) Ancient LanguagesSpeculation Animal Communication
NeuropsycholinguisticsArcheology / PaleontologyExperimental Semiotics
Ellison & Fay
Language Origins
EHBEA 2014
Modern LanguageAnimal Communication
Path through Intermediary Stages
Ellison & Fay
Language Origins
EHBEA 2014
Modern LanguageAnimal Communication ?Protolanguage
Ellison & Fay
Holism vs Systematicity
EHBEA 2014
3 atomic calls
Take cover! Eagle!Find a tree! Leopard!Look down! Python! Let’s chase it away!
Ellison & Fay
Holism vs Systematicity
EHBEA 2014
1 word = sentencearbitrary signs
- /mεbita/ give her the food
- /ikatubε/ give me the food
Ellison & Fay
Holism vs Systematicity
EHBEA 2014
Ellison & Fay
Holism vs Systematicity
EHBEA 2014
Similar expressions with similar meanings:• Kim baked a pie.• Kim baked a lasagne.• Kim baked a bean lasagne.• Kim baked in the sun.• Jean baked a lasagne.
Ellison & Fay
Holism vs Systematicity
EHBEA 2014
Polish Translationpiec to cookpiec a stovepieczywo baked foods / breadpiekłem I (masc) bakedpiekłyście you (pl femm) bakedpiekło hell
Ellison & Fay
Holism vs Systematicity
EHBEA 2014
Phonaesthemes:
Systematicity:• similar meanings• similar forms• shared parts
snore gleamsnuff glistensniff glowsnot glittersnout glazesneer glasssneeze
Ellison & Fay
Interpolation
EHBEA 2014
Type Lexicon StructureAnimal Comms Tiny HolismProtolanguage ? ?Human Language Large Systematicity
Ellison & Fay
Language Evolution
EHBEA 2014
Type Lexicon StructurePrimate Tiny HolisticProtolanguage Large HolisticLanguage Large Systematic
Holistic protolanguage e.g. Wray (1998)
Ellison & Fay
Large Holistic Communication System
- /ikalεsi/ give him the food- /mεbita/ give her the food- /ikatubε/ give me the food- /boraka/ give them the food- /lasarat/ give us the food
EHBEA 2014
Ellison & Fay
Protolanguage
Hypothesis I:spontaneous representational systems will be
holisticTest using Experimental Semiotics
psychological experiments manipulating the creation/use of representational systems
EHBEA 2014
Ellison & Fay
The Pictionary Task
EHBEA 2014
Directo
r
Matcher
• Theatre• Art Gallery• Museum• Parliament• Robert De Niro• Arnold Schwarzenegger• Clint Eastwood• Drama• Soap Opera• Homesick• Cartoon• Television• Computer Monitor• Microwave• Loud• Poverty
Ellison & Fay
Pictionary Task – Garrod (2007)
EHBEA 2014
Pictionary TaskFreehand6 games16 concepts
Ellison & Fay
Measuring Systematicity
EHBEA 2014
• measure of (dis)similarity of representations• computationally hard for free-hand drawing• SO: vector graphics – ellipses, rectangles,
triangles and lines• use edit distance to measure dissimilarity
Ellison & Fay
The SVG Pictionary Task
EHBEA 2014
Ellison & Fay
What’s Different
EHBEA 2014
Pictionary Task Vector Graphics Pictionary TaskFreehand Vector graphics6 games 2 rounds * 4 games per round16 concepts 18 concepts
Ellison & Fay
Protolanguage
Hypothesis I:spontaneous representational systems will be
holistic
EHBEA 2014
Ellison & Fay
Protolanguage
Hypothesis I:signs in semantic clusters will be no more similar
than signs for unrelated meanings(i.e. lacking in systematicity)
EHBEA 2014
Ellison & Fay
The Stimuli
EHBEA 2014
Concepts: 6 groups of 3 clustered concepts each
WoodTree
Boulder
Forest
StoneRock
GoldBronze Silver
FireBlaze Volcano
WineBeer
Whisky
JacketTrousers
Shirt
Ellison & Fay
Measuring Dissimilarity
EHBEA 2014
Between Distance: Average dissimilarity
Wood
Tree
Forest
Gold
Bronze
Silver
Ellison & Fay
Measuring Dissimilarity
EHBEA 2014
Within Cluster Distance: Average dissimilarity
Wood
Tree
Forest
Gold
Bronze
Silver
Ellison & Fay
Crowding Triggers Systematicity
EHBEA 2014
Within Between
Dissimilarity
Ellison & Fay
Crowding Triggers Systematicity
EHBEA 2014
Ellison & Fay
proximity– that there is at least one other in
the neighbourhooddensity?– how many meanings are in a
neighbourhood
What drives Systematicity?
EHBEA 2014
Ellison & Fay
Density vs Proximity
EHBEA 2014
wineWood
Tree
GoldBronze Silver
FireBlaze
WineBeer
Whisky
JacketShirt
Proximal and Dense
Proximal but Sparse
Ellison & Fay
No Effect of Density
EHBEA 2014
Within BetweenSparse Dense DenseSparse
Dissimilarity
Ellison & Fay
Conclusion
• Crowding leads immediately to systematicity– but density is unimportant
• Proximity of meanings leads to systematicity
SO: a large holistic lexicon seems unlikely
EHBEA 2014
Ellison & Fay
Comlab.me
EHBEA 2014
this research was supported in part by an ARC Discovery grant (DP120104237) awarded to NF