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Related Experiment Videos

Using mathematical models of language experimentally.

Timothy J O'Donnell1, Marc D Hauser, W Tecumseh Fitch

  • 1Primate Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Harvard University, William James Hall 1052, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. timo@wjh.harvard.edu

Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|June 1, 2005
PubMed
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This study proposes using formal mathematical approaches to understand language development and evolution in non-verbal subjects like babies and animals. This method simplifies testing compared to complex linguistic theories.

Area of Science:

  • Linguistics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Comparative studies of language faculty often use generative grammar, which presents challenges for non-verbal subjects.
  • Generative theories are complex and may not be directly applicable to infants or animals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a more accessible framework for studying language development and evolution.
  • To facilitate comparative research on language abilities in diverse populations.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing formal mathematical approaches to model language.
  • Shifting from linguistic frameworks to quantitative methods.

Main Results:

  • Mathematical models offer a more adaptable framework for comparative language research.

Related Experiment Videos

  • This approach simplifies the identification of testable hypotheses for non-verbal subjects.

    • Conclusions:

    • Formal mathematical approaches provide a robust alternative for investigating the language faculty.
    • This methodology enhances our understanding of language's developmental and evolutionary trajectory.