Research output per year
Research output per year
Abstract / Description of output
Language exhibits striking systematic structure. Words
are composed of combinations of reusable sounds, and those
words in turn are combined to form complex sentences.
These properties make language unique among natural com-
munication systems and enable our species to convey an
open-ended set of messages. We provide a cultural evolution-
ary account of the origins of this structure. We show, using
simulations of rational learners and laboratory experiments,
that structure arises from a trade-off between pressures for
compressibility (imposed during learning) and expressivity
(imposed during communication). We further demonstrate
that the relative strength of these two pressures can be varied
in different social contexts, leading to novel predictions about
the emergence of structured behaviour in the wild.
are composed of combinations of reusable sounds, and those
words in turn are combined to form complex sentences.
These properties make language unique among natural com-
munication systems and enable our species to convey an
open-ended set of messages. We provide a cultural evolution-
ary account of the origins of this structure. We show, using
simulations of rational learners and laboratory experiments,
that structure arises from a trade-off between pressures for
compressibility (imposed during learning) and expressivity
(imposed during communication). We further demonstrate
that the relative strength of these two pressures can be varied
in different social contexts, leading to novel predictions about
the emergence of structured behaviour in the wild.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 38th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society |
| Editors | A. Papafragou, D. Grodner, D. Mirman, J. C. Truswell |
| Place of Publication | Austin, TX |
| Publisher | Cognitive Science Society |
| Pages | 41-43 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-0-9911967-3-9 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Compression and communication in the cultural evolution of linguistic structure'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Research output
- 1 Anthology
-
Proceedings of the 38th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society
Papafragou, A. (ed.), Grodner, D. (ed.), Mirman, D. (ed.) & Trueswell, J. C. (ed.), 2016Research output: Book/Report › Anthology
Open Access
Activities
- 1 Participation in conference
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Cogsci2016 - 38th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society
Kenny Smith (Participant)
2016Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference