scholarly journals Acquiring markedness constraints

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 188-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeroen van de Weijer ◽  
Marjoleine Sloos
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Optimality Theory ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Universal Grammar ◽  
Language Data ◽  
Ambient Data ◽  
Made In

This paper questions the assumption made in classic Optimality Theory (Prince & Smolensky 1993 [2004]) that markedness constraints are an innate part of Universal Grammar. Instead, we argue that constraints are acquired on the basis of the language data to which L1 learning children are exposed. This is argued both on general grounds (innateness is an assumption that should not be invoked lightly) and on the basis of empirical evidence. We investigate this issue for six general markedness constraints in French, and show that all constraints could be acquired on the basis of the ambient data. Second, we show that the order of acquisition of the marked structures matches the frequency of violations of the relevant constraints in the input quite well. This argues in favour of a phonological model in which constraints are acquired, not innate, i.e. a model in which grammatical notions such as constraints are derived from language use.

scholarly journals Through what mechanisms do protected areas affect environmental and social outcomes?

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1681) ◽  
pp. 20140267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. Ferraro ◽  
Merlin M. Hanauer
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Strong Evidence ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Social Outcomes ◽  
Causal Effects ◽  
The Past ◽  
Made In

To develop effective protected area policies, scholars and practitioners must better understand the mechanisms through which protected areas affect social and environmental outcomes. With strong evidence about mechanisms, the key elements of success can be strengthened, and the key elements of failure can be eliminated or repaired. Unfortunately, empirical evidence about these mechanisms is limited, and little guidance for quantifying them exists. This essay assesses what mechanisms have been hypothesized, what empirical evidence exists for their relative contributions and what advances have been made in the past decade for estimating mechanism causal effects from non-experimental data. The essay concludes with a proposed agenda for building an evidence base about protected area mechanisms.

scholarly journals Self-organising Logic of Structures as a Basis for a Dependency-based Dynamic Semantics Model

2015 ◽  
pp. 25-55
Author(s):  
Maciej Piasecki
Keyword(s):  
Language Use ◽  
Semantic Representation ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Expressive Power ◽  
Dynamic Semantics ◽  
Huge Number ◽  
Language Data ◽  
Polish Language ◽  
Representation Language ◽  
Local Range

Self-organising Logic of Structures as a Basis for a Dependency-based Dynamic Semantics ModelWe present Self-organising Logic of Structures (SLS), a semantic representation language of high expressive power, which was designed for a fully compositional representation of discourse anaphora following the Dynamic Semantics paradigm. The application of SLS to the description of possible meanings of Polish multiple quantifier sentences is discussed. Special attention is paid to the phenomena of: cardinality dependency/independency of Noun Phrase quantifiers and variety of quantification. Semantic representation based on several formal operators is proposed. They can be combined in many different ways, if one takes a purely theoretical perspective. However, in the paper we show that this huge number is practically reduced in the language use and is governed by several constraints motivated by the analysis of Polish language data. The Hypothesis of Local Range of Cardinality Dependency is formulated as an alternative to representations based on quantifier rising technique. SLS provides a multi-layered language description of inter-linked representation of sever antification, reference, presupposition and anaphora.

Second language data and constraints on Manner: explaining substitutions for the English interdentals

2003 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Lombardi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Optimality Theory ◽  
First Language ◽  
L1 Transfer ◽  
Language Data

Substitutions for English interdentals tend to be consistent based on first language (L1): eg. [t] for speakers of Russian, [s] for speakers of Japanese. While the facts suggest that some type of L1 transfer must be involved, a rule affecting a sound that does not occur in L1 is unlearnable. Optimality Theory (OT) allows a solution to this conundrum because the grammars contain independently necessary constraint rankings that also have an effect on the interdentals. [t] substitution results from high ranked markedness. This can be seen as an effect of universals because this grammar retains the original ranking that the L1 learners begins with. [s] substitution results from high ranked Faithfulness. In this case, some L1 phonology has forced reranking, making this an effect of L1 transfer.

scholarly journals Retrieving Linguistic Information from a Corpus on the Example of Negation in Chinese

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-115
Author(s):  
Ľuboš GAJDOŠ
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Corpus Analysis ◽  
Linguistic Information ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Language Data ◽  
Authentic Language ◽  
Practical Implications

The paper deals with corpus analysis of negation in Chinese, namely the negatives bù 不 and méi/ méiyǒu没/没有. The adverbs BU and MEI are two of the most frequent negatives in Chinese. The aim of this study is to present statistical data together with linguistics analysis. The results provide empirical evidence of discrepancy between “authentic” language data versus linguistic prescription with practical implications for second-language acquisition. The findings inter alia suggest a new approach to verb categorisation.  

Is there anything there when there is not there? Null expletives and second language data

2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Oshita
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Lexical Item ◽  
Psychological Reality ◽  
Language Data ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Linguistic Characterization ◽  
Large Corpus ◽  
Made In

This article explores the issue of the psychological reality of null expletives, i.e., the silent counterparts of the so-called dummy subjects such as English it and there. Following Jackendoff’s (1997; 2002) notion of `defective’ lexical item, I define null expletives as extremely `defective’ words with syntactic properties but no semantic or phonological content. By comparing native speakers of pro-drop languages and those of topic-drop languages in terms of their grammatical judgement of and productive use of English, I argue that null expletives are very likely psychologically real to speakers of pro-drop languages but not to those of topic-drop languages. This conclusion is based on observations made in previous second language (L2) studies and the analysis of data obtained from a large corpus of nonnative English. The question of the unaccusative-unergative distinction in L2 grammar and the linguistic characterization of so-called free subject-verb inversion in pro-drop languages are also discussed in relation to the issue of the psychological reality of null expletives.

Comparison of the RC Model and the WR Model Based on CHILDES

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 1260
Author(s):  
Liang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Universal Grammar ◽  
Past Tense ◽  
Input Frequency ◽  
Verb Classes ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Real Process ◽  
Language Data

The acquisition of the verb past tense has often been used to help to figure out children’s real process of language acquisition. This paper aims to make a comparison between Charles Yang’s Rules and Competition Model (the RC model) and Steven Pinker’s Words and Rules Model (the WR model) based on real language acquisition data selected from CHILDES (Child Language Data Exchange System). Chomsky’s Universal grammar is the foundation of both models. The comparison has been done from three aspects: the role of input frequency, overregularization errors, and the origin of irregular past tense. The finding of the study indicates that the RC model can well explain the role of input frequency in verb classes and the similarity between verb and the past tense while the WR model’s explanation is vague in this point. Overregularization errors are more like an inevitable learning phenomenon that sheds light on phonological rules in the RC model instead of simple memory failures in the WR model. The WR model well explains the origin of irregular past tense while the RC model does not mention this point.

Code-switching and the optimal grammar of bilingual language use

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 522-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
RAKESH M. BHATT ◽  
AGNES BOLONYAI
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
Linguistic Competence ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Cognitive Constraints ◽  
Local Functions ◽  
Global Principles

In this article, we provide a framework of bilingual grammar that offers a theoretical understanding of the socio-cognitive bases of code-switching in terms of five general principles that, individually or through interaction with each other, explain how and why specific instances of code-switching arise. We provide cross-linguistic empirical evidence to claim that these general sociolinguistic principles, stated as socio-cognitive constraints on code-switching, characterize multi-linguistic competence in so far as they are able to show how “local” functions of code-switching arise as specific instantiations of these “global” principles, or (products of) their interactions.

scholarly journals The evolutionary interplay of intergroup conflict and altruism in humans: a review of parochial altruism theory and prospects for its extension

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1794) ◽  
pp. 20141539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannes Rusch
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Intergroup Conflict ◽  
Substantial Role ◽  
Direct Benefits ◽  
Central Notion ◽  
Simplifying Assumptions ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Cultural Traits ◽  
Made In

Drawing on an idea proposed by Darwin, it has recently been hypothesized that violent intergroup conflict might have played a substantial role in the evolution of human cooperativeness and altruism. The central notion of this argument, dubbed ‘parochial altruism’, is that the two genetic or cultural traits, aggressiveness against the out-groups and cooperativeness towards the in-group, including self-sacrificial altruistic behaviour, might have coevolved in humans. This review assesses the explanatory power of current theories of ‘parochial altruism’. After a brief synopsis of the existing literature, two pitfalls in the interpretation of the most widely used models are discussed: potential direct benefits and high relatedness between group members implicitly induced by assumptions about conflict structure and frequency. Then, a number of simplifying assumptions made in the construction of these models are pointed out which currently limit their explanatory power. Next, relevant empirical evidence from several disciplines which could guide future theoretical extensions is reviewed. Finally, selected alternative accounts of evolutionary links between intergroup conflict and intragroup cooperation are briefly discussed which could be integrated with parochial altruism in the future.

scholarly journals Gratification, Metamotivation, and Maslow

1977 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-272
Author(s):  
K. G. Agrawal ◽  
B. R. Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Lower Order ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Hierarchy Theory ◽  
Hierarchical Pattern ◽  
Made In

Many writers have criticized Maslow's need hierarchy theory since it lacks empirical evidence. An attempt has been made in this paper to verify Maslow's theory with the hypotheses that (1) needs do not form a hierarchical pattern; (2) even if a pattern exists, the shape is not that of a pyramid; (3) relatively better-off people care for lower order needs; and (4) differences in deficiency of needs would be insignificant. The results indicate that needs follow a descending pattern and that Maslow's theory has little empirical support.

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