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Language evolution can be shaped by the structure of the world
Amy Perfors1, Daniel J Navarro
1School of Psychology, University of Adelaide.
Cognitive Science
|January 28, 2014
Summary
Cross-linguistic universals arise not just from learner biases but also from the structure of the world. When learning language via iterated learning, the meanings being communicated shape the resulting language structure.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Linguistics
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Human languages exhibit both variation and striking cross-linguistic universals.
- Previous models suggested language universals arise solely from learner biases and transmission dynamics, independent of the external world.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the external world's structure in shaping language universals.
- To re-evaluate theoretical models of language evolution and acquisition through iterated learning.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of Bayesian learners undergoing iterated learning.
- Experimental validation using human participants acquiring language through iterated learning.
Main Results:
- When assumptions linking language to the world are relaxed, learners converge on languages reflecting world structure.
- Experimental results confirm that the structure of meanings significantly influences the emergent language structure in iterated learning.
Conclusions:
- Language structure is shaped by both internal biases and external environmental factors.
- The structure of the world being communicated about is a crucial determinant of cross-linguistic universals.
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