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Lim ZW, Stuart H, De Deyne S, Regier T, Vylomova E, Cohn T, Kemp C. A Computational Approach to Identifying Cultural Keywords Across Languages. Cogn Sci 2024; 48:e13402. [PMID: 38226686 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.13402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Distinctive aspects of a culture are often reflected in the meaning and usage of words in the language spoken by bearers of that culture. Keywords such as душа (soul) in Russian, hati (heart) in Indonesian and Malay, and gezellig (convivial/cosy/fun) in Dutch are held to be especially culturally revealing, and scholars have identified a number of such keywords using careful linguistic analyses (Peeters, 2020b; Wierzbicka, 1990). Because keywords are expected to have different statistical properties than related words in other languages, we argue that a quantitative comparison of word usage across languages can help to identify cultural keywords. To support this claim, we describe a computational method that compares word frequencies across languages, and apply it to both linguistic corpora and word association data. The method identifies culturally specific words that range from "obvious" examples, such as Amsterdam in Dutch, to non-obvious yet independently proposed examples, such as hati (heart) in Indonesian. We show in addition that linguistic corpora and word association data provide converging evidence about culturally specific words. Our results therefore show how computational analyses and behavioral experiments can supplement the methods previously used by linguists to identify culturally salient words across languages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Wei Lim
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne
| | - Harry Stuart
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne
| | - Simon De Deyne
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne
| | - Terry Regier
- Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science Program, University of California, Berkeley
| | | | - Trevor Cohn
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne
| | - Charles Kemp
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne
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2
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Xu Y, Liu E, Regier T. Numeral Systems Across Languages Support Efficient Communication: From Approximate Numerosity to Recursion. Open Mind (Camb) 2020; 4:57-70. [PMID: 33251470 PMCID: PMC7685423 DOI: 10.1162/opmi_a_00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Languages differ qualitatively in their numeral systems. At one extreme, some languages have a small set of number terms, which denote approximate or inexact numerosities; at the other extreme, many languages have forms for exact numerosities over a very large range, through a recursively defined counting system. Why do numeral systems vary as they do? Here, we use computational analyses to explore the numeral systems of 30 languages that span this spectrum. We find that these numeral systems all reflect a functional need for efficient communication, mirroring existing arguments in other semantic domains such as color, kinship, and space. Our findings suggest that cross-language variation in numeral systems may be understood in terms of a shared functional need to communicate precisely while using minimal cognitive resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xu
- Department of Computer Science, Cognitive Science Program, University of Toronto
| | - Emmy Liu
- Computer Science and Cognitive Science Programs, University of Toronto
| | - Terry Regier
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science Program, University of California, Berkeley
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3
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Affiliation(s)
- Noga Zaslavsky
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Linguistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Charles Kemp
- School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Naftali Tishby
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
- Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Terry Regier
- Department of Linguistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Cognitive Science Program, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Zaslavsky N, Kemp C, Tishby N, Regier T. Color Naming Reflects Both Perceptual Structure and Communicative Need. Top Cogn Sci 2018; 11:207-219. [DOI: 10.1111/tops.12395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noga Zaslavsky
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Department of Linguistics University of California Berkeley
| | - Charles Kemp
- School of Psychological Sciences The University of Melbourne
| | - Naftali Tishby
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
| | - Terry Regier
- Department of Linguistics University of California Berkeley
- Cognitive Science Program University of California Berkeley
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5
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Regier T, Xu Y. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and inference under uncertainty. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Cogn Sci 2018; 9:e1464. [PMID: 29658198 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Terry Regier
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science Program, University of California, Berkeley, CA
| | - Yang Xu
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science Program, University of California, Berkeley, CA
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6
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Regier T, Xu Y. The Sapir‐Whorf hypothesis and inference under uncertainty. WIREs Cogn Sci 2017; 8. [DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Terry Regier
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science ProgramUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Yang Xu
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science ProgramUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
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7
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Xu Y, Regier T, Newcombe NS. An adaptive cue combination model of human spatial reorientation. Cognition 2017; 163:56-66. [PMID: 28285237 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2017.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2016] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has proposed an adaptive cue combination view of the development of human spatial reorientation (Newcombe & Huttenlocher, 2006), whereby information from multiple sources is combined in a weighted fashion in localizing a target, as opposed to being modular and encapsulated (Hermer & Spelke, 1996). However, no prior work has formalized this proposal and tested it against existing empirical data. We propose a computational model of human spatial reorientation that is motivated by probabilistic approaches to optimal perceptual cue integration (e.g. Ernst & Banks, 2002) and to spatial location coding (Huttenlocher, Hedges, & Duncan, 1991). We show that this model accounts for data from a variety of human reorientation experiments, providing support for the adaptive combination view of reorientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xu
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science Program, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-2650, USA.
| | - Terry Regier
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science Program, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-2650, USA
| | - Nora S Newcombe
- Department of Psychology, 318 Weiss Hall, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
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Holmes KJ, Regier T. Categorical Perception Beyond the Basic Level: The Case of Warm and Cool Colors. Cogn Sci 2016; 41:1135-1147. [PMID: 27404377 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Categories can affect our perception of the world, rendering between-category differences more salient than within-category ones. Across many studies, such categorical perception (CP) has been observed for the basic-level categories of one's native language. Other research points to categorical distinctions beyond the basic level, but it does not demonstrate CP for such distinctions. Here we provide such a demonstration. Specifically, we show CP in English speakers for the non-basic distinction between "warm" and "cool" colors, claimed to represent the earliest stage of color lexicon evolution. Notably, the advantage for discriminating colors that straddle the warm-cool boundary was restricted to the right visual field-the same behavioral signature previously observed for basic-level categories. This pattern held in a replication experiment with increased power. Our findings show that categorical distinctions beyond the basic-level repertoire of one's native language are psychologically salient and may be spontaneously accessed during normal perceptual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Terry Regier
- Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science Program, University of California, Berkeley
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Xu Y, Regier T, Malt BC. Historical Semantic Chaining and Efficient Communication: The Case of Container Names. Cogn Sci 2015; 40:2081-2094. [PMID: 26456158 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Revised: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xu
- Department of Linguistics University of California, Berkeley
| | - Terry Regier
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science Program University of California, Berkeley
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Levy G, Sutarto R, Chevrier D, Regier T, Blyth R, Geck J, Wurmehl S, Harnagea L, Wadati H, Mizokawa T, Elfimov IS, Damascelli A, Sawatzky GA. Probing the role of co substitution in the electronic structure of iron pnictides. Phys Rev Lett 2012; 109:077001. [PMID: 23006394 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.109.077001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The role of Co substitution in the low-energy electronic structure of Ca(Fe(0.944)Co(0.056))(2)As(2) is investigated by resonant photoemission spectroscopy and density-functional theory. The Co 3d state center of mass is observed at 250 meV higher binding energy than that of Fe, indicating that Co possesses one extra valence electron and that Fe and Co are in the same oxidation state. Yet, significant Co character is detected for the Bloch wave functions at the chemical potential, revealing that the Co 3d electrons are part of the Fermi sea determining the Fermi surface. This establishes the complex role of Co substitution in CaFe(2)As(2) and the inadequacy of a rigid-band shift description.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Levy
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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14
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Li YS, Tang Y, Yang Q, Maley J, Sammynaiken R, Regier T, Xiao C, Hirose A. Ultrathin W-Al dual interlayer approach to depositing smooth and adherent nanocrystalline diamond films on stainless steel. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2010; 2:335-338. [PMID: 20356176 DOI: 10.1021/am9007159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The adherence of diamond coated on steel is commonly low and needs to be strengthened with thick intermediate layers. In this paper, a nanoscale W-Al dual metal interlayer has been applied on SS304 substrates to facilitate deposition of continuous, adherent and smooth diamond thin films. During the microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process, the Al inner layer 30 nm thick diffuses into steel surface inhibiting carbon diffusion and graphitization. The W outer layer 20 nm thick is transformed into W carbides, both preventing carbon diffusion and enhancing diamond nucleation. The diamond films synthesized are of high purity and have smooth surfaces and dense structures. Indentation and shear deformation tests indicate high delaminating tolerance of the diamond films.
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15
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Regier T, Kay P. On the status of prelinguistic color categories: Response to Roberson and Hanley. Trends Cogn Sci 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2009.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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16
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Regier T, Kay P. Language, thought, and color: Whorf was half right. Trends Cogn Sci 2009; 13:439-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2009.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2009] [Revised: 06/24/2009] [Accepted: 07/06/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Wilks RG, MacNaughton JB, Kraatz HB, Regier T, Blyth RIR, Moewes A. Comparative Theoretical and Experimental Study of the Radiation-Induced Decomposition of Glycine. J Phys Chem A 2009; 113:5360-6. [DOI: 10.1021/jp900794v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. G. Wilks
- Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
- Canadian Light Source Inc., University of Saskatchewan, 101 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 0X4, Canada
| | - J. B. MacNaughton
- Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
- Canadian Light Source Inc., University of Saskatchewan, 101 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 0X4, Canada
| | - H.-B. Kraatz
- Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
- Canadian Light Source Inc., University of Saskatchewan, 101 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 0X4, Canada
| | - T. Regier
- Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
- Canadian Light Source Inc., University of Saskatchewan, 101 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 0X4, Canada
| | - R. I. R. Blyth
- Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
- Canadian Light Source Inc., University of Saskatchewan, 101 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 0X4, Canada
| | - A. Moewes
- Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
- Canadian Light Source Inc., University of Saskatchewan, 101 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 0X4, Canada
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Foraker S, Regier T, Khetarpal N, Perfors A, Tenenbaum J. Indirect Evidence and the Poverty of the Stimulus: The Case of AnaphoricOne. Cogn Sci 2009; 33:287-300. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1551-6709.2009.01014.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Gilbert AL, Regier T, Kay P, Ivry RB. Support for lateralization of the Whorf effect beyond the realm of color discrimination. Brain Lang 2008; 105:91-8. [PMID: 17628656 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2007.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2007] [Revised: 05/16/2007] [Accepted: 06/12/2007] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Recent work has shown that Whorf effects of language on color discrimination are stronger in the right visual field than in the left. Here we show that this phenomenon is not limited to color: The perception of animal figures (cats and dogs) was more strongly affected by linguistic categories for stimuli presented to the right visual field than those presented to the left. Moreover, the magnitude of the visual field asymmetry was reduced when demands on verbal working memory were increased by a secondary task. This reduction did not occur when the secondary task imposed demands on spatial working memory. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the lateralized Whorf effect may be quite general, reflecting an interaction of linguistic and perceptual codes primarily in the left hemisphere.
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Zhou XT, Zhou JG, Murphy MW, Ko JYP, Heigl F, Regier T, Blyth RIR, Sham TK. The effect of the surface of SnO2 nanoribbons on their luminescence using x-ray absorption and luminescence spectroscopy. J Chem Phys 2008; 128:144703. [DOI: 10.1063/1.2841419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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21
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Otero E, Wilks RG, Regier T, Blyth RIR, Moewes A, Urquhart SG. Substituent Effects in the Iron 2p and Carbon 1s Edge Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) Spectroscopy of Ferrocene Compounds. J Phys Chem A 2008; 112:624-34. [DOI: 10.1021/jp074625w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. Otero
- Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan, 110 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9, Canada, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9, Canada, and Canadian Light Source, University of Saskatchewan, 101 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0X4, Canada
| | - R. G. Wilks
- Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan, 110 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9, Canada, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9, Canada, and Canadian Light Source, University of Saskatchewan, 101 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0X4, Canada
| | - T. Regier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan, 110 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9, Canada, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9, Canada, and Canadian Light Source, University of Saskatchewan, 101 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0X4, Canada
| | - R. I. R. Blyth
- Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan, 110 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9, Canada, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9, Canada, and Canadian Light Source, University of Saskatchewan, 101 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0X4, Canada
| | - A. Moewes
- Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan, 110 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9, Canada, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9, Canada, and Canadian Light Source, University of Saskatchewan, 101 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0X4, Canada
| | - S. G. Urquhart
- Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan, 110 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9, Canada, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9, Canada, and Canadian Light Source, University of Saskatchewan, 101 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0X4, Canada
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Abstract
Proponents of a self-identified 'relativist' view of cross-language color naming have confounded two questions: (1) Is color naming largely subject to local linguistic convention? and (2) Are cross-language color naming differences reflected in comparable differences in color cognition by their speakers? The 'relativist' position holds that the correct answer to both questions is Yes, based on data from the Berinmo language of Papua New Guinea. It is shown here that the Berinmo facts instead support a more complex view -- that cross-language color naming follows non-trivial universal tendencies, while cross-language color-naming differences do indeed correlate with differences in color cognition. The rhetoric of 'relativity' versus 'universalism' impedes understanding of cross-language color naming and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Kay
- International Computer Science Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Abstract
The nature of color categories in the world's languages is contested. One major view holds that color categories are organized around universal focal colors, whereas an opposing view holds instead that categories are defined at their boundaries by linguistic convention. Both of these standardly opposed views are challenged by existing data. Here, we argue for a third view based on a proposal by Jameson and D'Andrade [Jameson KA, D'Andrade RG (1997) in Color Categories in Thought and Language, eds Hardin CL, Maffi L (Cambridge Univ Press, Cambridge, U.K.), pp 295-319]: that color naming across languages reflects optimal or near-optimal divisions of an irregularly shaped perceptual color space. We formalize this idea, test it against color-naming data from a broad range of languages and show that it accounts for universal tendencies in color naming while also accommodating some observed cross-language variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry Regier
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 5848 South University Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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Drivonikou GV, Kay P, Regier T, Ivry RB, Gilbert AL, Franklin A, Davies IRL. Further evidence that Whorfian effects are stronger in the right visual field than the left. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:1097-102. [PMID: 17213312 PMCID: PMC1783370 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0610132104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Whorf hypothesis holds that differences between languages induce differences in perception and/or cognition in their speakers. Much of the experimental work pursuing this idea has focused on the domain of color and has centered on the issue of whether linguistically coded color categories influence color discrimination. A new perspective has been cast on the debate by recent results that suggest that language influences color discrimination strongly in the right visual field but not in the left visual field (LVF). This asymmetry is likely related to the contralateral projection of visual fields to cerebral hemispheres and the specialization of the left hemisphere for language. The current study presents three independent experiments that replicate and extend these earlier results by using different tasks and testing across different color category boundaries. Our results differ in one respect: although we find that Whorfian effects on color are stronger for stimuli in the right visual field than in the LVF, we find that there are significant category effects in the LVF as well. The origin of the significant category effect in the LVF is considered, and two factors that might account for the pattern of results are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. V. Drivonikou
- Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - P. Kay
- International Computer Science Institute, 1947 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
- Department of Linguistics and
- To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail:
or
| | - T. Regier
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Calfornia, Berkeley, CA 94720; and
| | - R. B. Ivry
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - A. L. Gilbert
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - A. Franklin
- Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - I. R. L. Davies
- Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
- To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail:
or
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Regier T, Paulsen J, Wright G, Coulthard I, Tan K, Sham TK, Blyth RIR. Commissioning of the Spherical Grating Monochromator Soft X-ray Spectroscopy Beamline at the Canadian Light Source. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1063/1.2436101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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26
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Heigl F, Jürgensen A, Zhou XT, Lam S, Murphy M, Ko JYP, Sham TK, Rosenberg RA, Gordon R, Brewe D, Regier T, Armelao L. Dynamic View on Nanostructures: A Technique for Time Resolved Optical Luminescence using Synchrotron Light Pulses at SRC, APS, and CLS. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1063/1.2436279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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Wilks RG, MacNaughton JB, Kraatz HB, Regier T, Moewes A. Combined X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Examination of Ferrocene-Labeled Peptides. J Phys Chem B 2006; 110:5955-65. [PMID: 16553403 DOI: 10.1021/jp056573l] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A combination of soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements and StoBe density functional theory (DFT) calculations has been used to study the electronic structures of the ferrocene-labeled peptides Fc-Pro(n)-OBz (n = 1-4). Excellent agreement between the measured and the simulated data is observed in all cases, and the origin of all major spectral features was assigned. The breaking of the degeneracy of the ferrocene 3e(2u)-like unoccupied molecular orbital under the influence of a substituent attached to a Cp ring was observed experimentally. The influence of the bonding environment on the O 1s and N 1s XAS spectra was examined. A corrected assignment of one of the major features in the Fe 2p XAS spectra of ferrocene is proposed and supported by the DFT simulations, as well as the measured spectra.
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Affiliation(s)
- R G Wilks
- Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, 116 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada.
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Abstract
The classic issue of color naming and color cognition has been re-examined in a recent series of articles. Here, we review these developments, and suggest that they move the field beyond a familiar rhetoric of 'nature versus nurture', or 'universals versus relativity', to new concepts and new questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Kay
- International Computer Science Institute, University of California, Berkeley, USA.
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30
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Abstract
The question of whether language affects perception has been debated largely on the basis of cross-language data, without considering the functional organization of the brain. The nature of this neural organization predicts that, if language affects perception, it should do so more in the right visual field than in the left visual field, an idea unexamined in the debate. Here, we find support for this proposal in lateralized color discrimination tasks. Reaction times to targets in the right visual field were faster when the target and distractor colors had different names; in contrast, reaction times to targets in the left visual field were not affected by the names of the target and distractor colors. Moreover, this pattern was disrupted when participants performed a secondary task that engaged verbal working memory but not a task making comparable demands on spatial working memory. It appears that people view the right (but not the left) half of their visual world through the lens of their native language, providing an unexpected resolution to the language-and-thought debate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey L Gilbert
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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31
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Abstract
It is widely held that named color categories in the world's languages are organized around universal focal colors and that these focal colors tend to be chosen as the best examples of color terms across languages. However, this notion has been supported primarily by data from languages of industrialized societies. In contrast, recent research on a language from a nonindustrialized society has called this idea into question. We examine color-naming data from languages of 110 nonindustrialized societies and show that (i) best-example choices for color terms in these languages cluster near the prototypes for English white, black, red, green, yellow, and blue, and (ii) best-example choices cluster more tightly across languages than do the centers of category extensions, suggesting that universal best examples (foci) may be the source of universal tendencies in color naming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry Regier
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 5848 South University Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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32
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Abstract
Syntactic knowledge is widely held to be partially innate, rather than learned. In a classic example, it is sometimes argued that children know the proper use of anaphoric one, although that knowledge could not have been learned from experience. Lidz et al. [Lidz, J., Waxman, S., & Freedman, J. (2003). What infants know about syntax but couldn't have learned: Experimental evidence for syntactic structure at 18 months. Cognition, 89, B65-B73.] pursue this argument, and present corpus and experimental evidence that appears to support it; they conclude that specific aspects of this knowledge must be innate. We demonstrate, contra Lidz et al., that this knowledge may in fact be acquired from the input, through a simple Bayesian learning procedure. The learning procedure succeeds because it is sensitive to the absence of particular input patterns--an aspect of learning that is apparently overlooked by Lidz et al. More generally, we suggest that a prominent form of the "argument from poverty of the stimulus" suffers from the same oversight, and is as a result logically unsound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry Regier
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 5848 South University Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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33
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry Regier
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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34
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Abstract
The existence of cross-linguistic universals in color naming is currently contested. Early empirical studies, based principally on languages of industrialized societies, suggested that all languages may draw on a universally shared repertoire of color categories. Recent work, in contrast, based on languages from nonindustrialized societies, has suggested that color categories may not be universal. No comprehensive objective tests have yet been conducted to resolve this issue. We conduct such tests on color naming data from languages of both industrialized and nonindustrialized societies and show that strong universal tendencies in color naming exist across both sorts of language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Kay
- International Computer Science Institute, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA.
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35
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Abstract
In learning the meanings of words, children are guided by a set of constraints that give privilege to some potential meanings over others. These word-learning constraints are sometimes viewed as part of a specifically linguistic endowment. However, several recent computational models suggest concretely how word-learning - constraints included - might emerge from more general aspects of cognition, such as associative learning, attention and rational inference. This article reviews these models, highlighting the link between general cognitive forces and the word-learning they subserve. Ultimately, these cognitive forces might leave their mark not just on language learning, but also on language itself: in constraining the space of possible meanings, they place limits on cross-linguistic semantic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry Regier
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 5848 South University Avenue, 60637, Chicago, IL, USA
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36
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Abstract
The present paper grounds the linguistic cdategorization of space in aspects of visual perception; specifically, the structure of projective spatial terms such as above are grounded in the process of attention and in vector-sum coding of overall direction. This is formalized in the attentional vector-sum (AVS) model. This computational model accurately predicts linguistic acceptability judgments for spatial terms, under a variety of spatial configurations. In 7 experiments, the predictions of the AVS model are tested against those of 3 competing models. The results support the AVS model and disconfirm its competitors. The authors conclude that the structure of linguistic spatial categories can be partially explained in terms of independently motivated perceptual processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Regier
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Green 414, 5848 South University Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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37
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Abstract
The present paper grounds the linguistic cdategorization of space in aspects of visual perception; specifically, the structure of projective spatial terms such as above are grounded in the process of attention and in vector-sum coding of overall direction. This is formalized in the attentional vector-sum (AVS) model. This computational model accurately predicts linguistic acceptability judgments for spatial terms, under a variety of spatial configurations. In 7 experiments, the predictions of the AVS model are tested against those of 3 competing models. The results support the AVS model and disconfirm its competitors. The authors conclude that the structure of linguistic spatial categories can be partially explained in terms of independently motivated perceptual processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Regier
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Green 414, 5848 South University Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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38
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Abstract
Three experiments examine the relation between linguistic and non-linguistic categorization of spatial relations. We compare linguistic and non-linguistic responses to the same spatial stimuli. Contrary to earlier claims in the literature (Hayward, W. G. & Tarr, M. J. (1995). Spatial language and spatial representation. Cognition, 55, 39-84), we find that linguistic and non-linguistic spatial categories do not correspond. Rather, they appear to have an inverse relation such that the prototypes of linguistic categories, such as 'above', are boundaries in non-linguistic spatial categorization. Evidence for this inverse relation comes from linguistic acceptability judgments and the pattern of bias in participants' reproductions of location. Our findings suggest that while linguistic and non-linguistic spatial organization rely on a common underlying structure, that structure may play different roles in the two organizational systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- L E Crawford
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 5848 S. University Avenue, Chicago 60615, USA.
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