| Signalling signalhood and the emergence of communication. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 19740461 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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A unique hallmark of human language is that it uses signals that are both learnt and symbolic. The emergence of such signals was therefore a defining event in human cognitive evolution, yet very little is known about how such a process occurs. Previous work provides some insights on how meaning can become attached to form, but a more foundational issue is presently unaddressed. How does a signal signal its own signalhood? That is, how do humans even know that communicative behaviour is indeed communicative in nature? We introduce an experimental game that has been designed to tackle this problem. We find that it is commonly resolved with a bootstrapping process, and that this process influences the final form of the communication system. Furthermore, sufficient common ground is observed to be integral to the recognition of signalhood, and the emergence of dialogue is observed to be the key step in the development of a system that can be employed to achieve shared goals. |
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Authors:
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Thomas C Scott-Phillips; Simon Kirby; Graham R S Ritchie |
Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Date: 2009-09-08 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Cognition Volume: 113 ISSN: 1873-7838 ISO Abbreviation: Cognition Publication Date: 2009 Nov |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2009-10-19 Completed Date: 2009-12-15 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0367541 Medline TA: Cognition Country: Netherlands |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 226-33 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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School of Psychology, Philosophy and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AD, United Kingdom. thom@ling.ed.ac.uk |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Algorithms Communication* Game Theory Games, Experimental Humans Language* Models, Psychological Symbolism* |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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