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Related Experiment Videos

Similar, and similar concepts

L R Gleitman1, H Gleitman, C Miller

  • 1University of Pennsylvania Institute for Research in Cognitive Science, Philadelphia 19104, USA.

Cognition
|March 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary
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This study reveals that apparent asymmetry in symmetrical predicates like "similar" arises from linguistic interpretation, not inherent meaning. Symmetry is a lexical property, with sentence structure determining roles in comparison.

Area of Science:

  • Linguistics
  • Psycholinguistics
  • Semantics

Background:

  • The concept of similarity, often considered symmetrical, has been argued to be psychologically asymmetrical.
  • Experimental subjects perceive sentences like 'A is similar to B' and 'B is similar to A' as having different meanings.
  • This perceived asymmetry challenges the symmetrical entailment (R x, y <--> R y, x) for concepts like similarity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the apparent asymmetry in English symmetrical predicates.
  • To determine if this asymmetry is a property of the words themselves or a result of linguistic interpretation.
  • To propose an analysis of symmetrical predication based on experimental findings.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted five experiments analyzing 20 intuitively symmetrical predicates (e.g., equal, identical).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examined linguistic-interpretative properties, including intransitive reciprocal interpretations.
  • Investigated the role of general linguistic-interpretive principles in subject-complement constructions.

    • Main Results:

    • The apparent asymmetry of 'similar' was reproduced for other symmetrical predicates.
    • Symmetrical words exhibit unique properties, such as reciprocal interpretation in intransitive use.
    • Asymmetrical interpretations in subject-complement constructions are due to general linguistic principles, not inherent word meaning.

    Conclusions:

    • Symmetry is a property of lexical items, not syntax; sentence structure dictates roles like Figure/Ground or Variant/Referent.
    • The behavior of symmetrical predicates varies based on lexical class and semantic designation (e.g., activity vs. state).
    • Understanding symmetrical terms requires analyzing the semantics of the syntactic structures in which they appear.