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Using contrastive inferences to learn about new words and categories
Claire Augusta Bergey1, Daniel Yurovsky2
1University of Chicago, United States of America.
Cognition
|September 7, 2023
Summary
People use descriptive language to learn about new words and objects. Contrastive inferences from descriptions help identify referents and understand category features, enhancing learning beyond literal meaning.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
Background:
- Description aids learning of unfamiliar language and objects.
- Inferences can be made based on contrast with environmental or categorical norms.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate if contrastive inferences aid learning of word-referent mappings.
- Examine if descriptions help learn novel category feature distributions.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted.
- Participants learned new word-referent mappings and category feature distributions.
- The Rational Speech Act (RSA) framework was used for modeling.
Main Results:
- Contrastive inferences guide referent choice, particularly with size adjectives.
- Color and size descriptions lead to inferences of object atypicality within categories.
- These inferences do not significantly trade off, even when descriptors are essential for reference.
Conclusions:
- People utilize contrastive inferences from descriptions for reference resolution.
- Learners infer object atypicality from descriptions, enriching category understanding.
- Contrastive inferences enhance learning beyond literal interpretation of descriptions.
Keywords:
CommunicationComputational modelingConcept learningContrastive inferencePragmaticsWord learningMore Related Videos
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