Modeling common ground

Project: Research

Project participants

Description

Language is inherently ambiguous. The meaning of words and sentences depends on the identity of the communicative partners and the nature of the context. In simple behavioral experiments children and adults can use a wide variety of social-contextual cues (jointly known as “common ground”) to interpret ambiguous utterances. But this limited empirical evidence – especially in the developmental context – does not live up to the theoretical importance of common ground: In theory, common ground is not only involved in online language use but it is also a necessary prerequisite to learn language in the first place. Studying the development of children’s ability to form and use common ground is therefore crucial to understand the psychological foundation of language. It is still unknown how both adults and children integrate different social-contextual cues in complex, naturalistic interactions. Bayesian modeling provides a mathematical framework for formalizing theoretical assumptions about this interaction and deriving quantitative predictions about new experimental situations.
This project will unite developmental and computational approaches. The key objective is to find out what constitutes common ground at different ages and how it informs language learning across development. I will develop mathematical models and behavioral experiments in parallel to obtain quantitative predictions for different forms of interactions between social-contextual cues. By comparing these predictions to data from early children’s word learning at different stages of development, I will be able to empirically evaluate the theoretical importance of the different components of common ground. The interdisciplinary focus of the project at the intersection of psychology, linguistics and computer science will open up new avenues for the empirical study of language use and language learning.

Funded by the European Commission CORDIS Horizon 2020 EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
DOI: 10.3030/749229
StatusFinished
Period11.09.1710.09.20

Research outputs

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Modelling tasks—The relation between linguistic skills, intra-mathematical skills, and context-related prior knowledge
  2. The elicitation process in developing of case library for Case-Based Reasoner system whilst consideration for validating electronic communication technologies
  3. Switching from a Managing to a Monitoring Function on the Board
  4. Efficient Order Picking Methods in Robotic Mobile Fulfillment Systems
  5. The temporal pattern of creativity and implementation in teams
  6. A Wavelet Packet Algorithm for Online Detection of Pantograph Vibrations
  7. Overcoming Multi-legacy Application Challenges through Building Dynamic Capabilities for Low-Code Adoption
  8. Watershed groundwater balance estimation using streamflow recession analysis and baseflow separation
  9. A data-driven methodological routine to identify key indicators for social-ecological system archetype mapping
  10. Recent Advances in Intelligent Algorithms for Fault Detection and Diagnosis
  11. Adaptive Notch Filter in Wavelet Packet Trees
  12. An integrative research framework for enabling transformative adaptation
  13. ENVISIONING PROTECTED AREAS THROUGH PARTICIPATORY SCENARIO PLANNING: NAVIGATING COVERAGE AND EFFECTIVENESS CHALLENGES AHEAD
  14. Increased Reliability of Draw-In Prediction in a Single Stage Deep-Drawing Operation via Transfer Learning
  15. Consumer information problems
  16. Excludable and non-excludable public inputs
  17. Improving the representation of smallholder farmers’ adaptive behaviour in agent-based models
  18. A dynamic perspective on affect and creativity
  19. Low working memory reduces the use of mental contrasting
  20. Development and evaluation of Open Educational Resources to improve teacher's knowledge on spatial abilities
  21. Tree mixtures mediate negative effects of introduced tree species on bird taxonomic and functional diversity
  22. The persistence of subsistence and the limits to development studies
  23. Empowered or informed? Seeking to mitigate gender differences in first-offer assertiveness through pre-negotiation interventions
  24. Stimulus complexity determined by fractal geometry
  25. Anatomical and neuromuscular variables strongly predict maximum knee extension torque in healthy men