Inter-process relations in spatial language: Feedback and graded compatibility

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Computational Linguistics
• Spatial Cognition

Background:

• Mapping spatial language to regions involves reference frame selection and spatial term assignment.
• These processes have typically been studied independently.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the interplay between reference frame selection and spatial term assignment.
• Determine if spatial term assignment information feeds back to influence selection.
• Examine if competition during reference frame selection is graded.

Main Methods:

• Developed four computational models with varying feedback and gradedness parameters.
• Simulated the processes of reference frame selection and spatial term assignment.
• Assessed model performance based on human spatial term use patterns.

Main Results:

• Spatial term assignment information feeds back to influence reference frame selection.
• Competition between reference frames is graded, increasing with decreasing frame similarity.
• Reference frame selection and spatial term assignment operate concurrently and interactively.

Conclusions:

• Human spatial term use involves interactive and concurrent reference frame selection and spatial term assignment.
• Graded competition in selection is a key feature of spatial cognition.
• The graded nature of competition may extend to other cognitive domains.