Induction and interaction in the evolution of language and conceptual structure
Languages evolve in response to various pressures, and this thesis adopts the view that two pressures are especially important. Firstly, the process of learning a language functions as a pressure for greater simplicity due to a domain-general cognitive preference for simple structure. Secondly, the process of using a language in communicative scenarios functions as a pressure for greater informativeness because ultimately languages are only useful to the extent that they allow their users to express - or indeed represent - nuanced meaning distinctions. These two fundamental properties of language - simplicity and informativeness - are often, but not always, in conflict with each other. In general, a simple language cannot be informative and an informative language cannot be simple, resulting in the simplicity-informativeness tradeoff. Typological studies in several domains, including colour, kinship, and spatial relations, have demonstrated that languages find optimal solutions to this tradeoff - optimal solutions to the problem of balancing, on the one hand, the need for simplicity, and on the other, the need for informativeness. More specifically, the thesis explores how inductive reasoning and communicative
Carr, Jon William
Bayes ; categorization ; category learning ; communication ; complexity ; compositionality ; compression ; concept learning ; convexity ; cultural evolution ; cultural transmission ; expressivity ; generalization ; induction ; informativeness ; interaction ; iterated learning ; Kolmogorov complexity ; language evolution ; minimum description length ; semantic categories ; simplicity
Induction and interaction in the evolution of language and conceptual structure. Languages evolve in response to various pressures, and this thesis adopts the view that two pressures are especially important. Firstly, the process of learning a language functions as a pressure for greater simplicity due to a domain-general cognitive preference for simple structure. Secondly, the process of using a language in communicative scenarios functions as a pressure for greater informativeness because ultimately languages are only useful to the extent that they allow their users to express - or indeed represent - nuanced meaning distinctions. These two fundamental properties of language - simplicity and informativeness - are often, but not always, in conflict with each other. In general, a simple language cannot be informative and an informative language cannot be simple, resulting in the simplicity-informativeness tradeoff. Typological studies in several domains, including colour, kinship, and spatial relations, have demonstrated that languages find optimal solutions to this tradeoff - optimal solutions to the problem of balancing, on the one hand, the need for simplicity, and on the other, the need for informativeness. More specifically, the thesis explores how inductive reasoning and communicative
induction interaction evolution_language conceptual_structure languages evolve response various pressure adopts view pressure especially_important firstly process learning language function pressure great simplicity due domain general cognitive preference simple structure secondly process use language_communicative scenario function pressure great ultimately languages useful extent allow user express indeed represent nuanced meaning distinction two_fundamental property language simplicity often always conflict other general simple language informative informative language simple result simplicity typological_study several domain include colour kinship spatial_relation demonstrate language optimal solution optimal solution_problem one_hand need simplicity need specifically explore inductive reason communicative