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Alignment as the sensorimotor basis of the evolution of conversation
Full text linkAbstract. Recent considerations on the nature of language recognize conversationas the central unit of analysis. Some approaches give a definition of conversationas parallel with that of cooperative action, with conversational success taking place when individuals converge to achieve a common goal. The present challenge of psycholinguistic is identifying the cognitive mechanisms underlying the process of convergence in conversation. Among these, interactional alignment, i.e. accommodation at many levels in dialogue, has received growing attention. In this paper, I will propose that, when it comes to the evolutionary issue, alignment might be considered a good candidate to account for some early strategiesused by individuals keen to communicate in the absence of a full-fledged code. Thefocus on mechanisms of low-level alignment paves the way for a sensorimotor and protoconversational account of language evolution
Language in Interaction. The Role of Conscious Processes in Conversation
No full textConsistent with the well-established tradition of cognitive pragmatics, this work hinges on the idea that human communication has to be considered inferential in nature. Starting from the empirically-based insights of Relevance Theory, I will focus on the role of pragmatic inference processes in real language use, specifically in conversation. In order to address this question, I pursue a twofold goal. On the one hand, I intend to characterize the nature of conversational exchanges, by identifying the main features that underlie their elaboration. On the other hand, my goal is to provide some indications about the cognitive underpinnings of such conversational properties.
Relevance account states that language in context can be described as a matter of expressing and recognizing intentions and that this procedure is driven by expectations of relevance automatically processed. In accordance with the claim that the core of conversations lies in conveying and catching each other’s intentions, I will take into account the strategies employed by interlocutors and the cognitive mechanisms involved in this kind of process. Although Relevance theorists account for some important features of language in use, my hypothesis is that they falter in explaining some non-marginal aspects of real-time conversation because of two problematic issues: a) the propensity to emphasize the comprehension process omitting to account for the production process; b) the idea that it all comes down to processing relevance by means of a modular automatic device. Against these claims, I will argue that a) conversation is a joint activity performed in coordination and requires complex abilities as on the side of the hearer as on the side of the speaker; b) automatic mechanisms cannot underlie some essential aspects inherent conversation which are better explained by the role of conscious processes. Although the relation between language and consciousness has been traditionally neglected, the idea to put consciousness back into the reflection on language in context has important theoretical and empirical implications
Inferenze comunicative e architetture cognitive
No full textIn cognitive science, automatic computational processes are widely considered to be the mechanisms underlying communication functioning. According to this interpretative model, formal computations may account for the linguistic comprehension and production processes in a mechanicistic perspective. In this sense, from a psychological point of view communication hinges on what individuals actually say by expressing a sentence, irrespective of extra-linguistic components. Although automatic mechanisms led by syntactic procedures may explain some key factors of language, these devices seem to be insufficient to allow for other important elements at the level of discourse. Starting from the idea that communicate means to produce and comprehend discourses, in this paper we will argue against the computational model of language, even in its actual revisited version. In particolar, we will claim that pragmatic inferences involved in discourse interpretation are not explainable by a strictly modular architecture. Assuming as a case study the elaboration of a specific inference – namely the scalar implicature – we will propose the necessity of an alternative model that clarify the cognitive architecture underlying discourse elaboration
Recensione a F. Ferretti F. & I. Adornetti, Dalla comunicazione al linguaggio. Scimmie, ominidi e umani in una prospettiva darwiniana
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