Toward a computational psycholinguistics of reference production

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Computational Linguistics
• Psycholinguistics

Background:

• Current computational models of reference production often rely on deterministic algorithms.
• Psycholinguistic research indicates that human language use, specifically reference, is not always deterministic.

Discussion:

• This article explores the divergence between computational determinism and empirical psycholinguistic findings in reference production.
• It highlights determinism as a key area where current algorithms conflict with observed human language behavior.

Key Insights:

• Closer interaction between computational and psycholinguistic approaches can lead to novel algorithms for reference production.
• Algorithms that incorporate non-determinism may better reflect the complexities of human language use.

Outlook:

• Future research should focus on developing non-deterministic algorithms for reference production.
• New psycholinguistic experiments are crucial for guiding the development of these more sophisticated computational models.