a gibsonian analysis of linguistic information finding common ground: uconn 2014 sabrina golonka...
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A Gibsonian analysis of linguistic information
Finding Common Ground: UConn 2014
Sabrina GolonkaLeeds Metropolitan University
Centre for Applied Social Research
What is the place of language in ecological psychology?
Is language a type of perception? Is language comprehension direct perception? Does language have affordances?
“New affordances for language: distributed, dynamical, and dialogical resources” (Hodges & Fowler, 2010)
“Speech as the perception of affordances” (Worgan & Moore 2010)
Fowler, 1986 p 24
“As to...whether a linguistic message can be said to be perceived...from a direct-realist perspective, direct perception depends on a necessary relation between structure in information media and its distal source. But,...this does not appear to apply to the relation between sign and significance.”
Language does not fit cleanly into an ecological framework as currently defined
Need to identify precisely where the similarities and differences are to preserve the theoretical rigour of the ecological approach
Goal: Devise an extended framework for ecological information that accommodates language without straining or redefining original notions of affordances or direct-perception
The ecological approach to perception (Gibson, 1979;
Turvey, Shaw, Reed & Mace, 1981)
1. Affordances are dispositional properties of objects and events that provide opportunities for action to complementary organisms
2. Perception is of affordances3. Affordances uniquely structure energy (specification)4. Therefore, coordinating behaviour wrt information is
equivalent to coordinating behaviour wrt the affordance property (direct perception)
Information / behaviour relations
Affordance property structures
light in a way unique to that
property
Has the affordance property
“climbable”
Coordinating behaviour wrt the
information is equivalent to coordinating
behaviour wrt the affordance
The property that constrains the types of actions possible is specifically projected in light.
Information / behaviour relations
“Turn left at the corner”
Structures sound in a way that is specific to the speech event
There is a specific projection of the property, but this property does not lawfully constrain the types of actions possible in this task
Coordinating behaviour wrt the information is
equivalent to coordinating behaviour
wrt...what exactly?
Trained speaker coordinates actions of vocal tract to produce a certain series of sounds
Information / behaviour relations
“Turn left at the corner”
Structures sound in a way that is specific to the speech event
There is a specific projection of the event, but this event does not lawfully constrain the types of actions possible
Behaviour is not organised WRT the
articulatory dynamics that created the
sound
Trained speaker coordinates actions of vocal tract to produce a certain series of sounds
No natural law relating behaviour to the property of the world that caused the information
Information / behaviour relations
“Turn left at the corner”
Structures sound in a way that is specific to the speech event
There is a specific projection of the event, but this event does not lawfully constrain the types of actions possible
The action is precipitated by the
linguistic information, but it is then controlled by
perceptual information
Trained speaker coordinates actions of vocal tract to produce a certain series of sounds
No natural law relating behaviour to the property of the world that caused the information
Turvey et al 1981 p 244“Our strategy, as proponents of Gibson’s ecological approach, is to argue for a conception of natural law that allows meaningful relations between organism and environment to hold. Further, we constrain our use of the term ‘perception’ (and thus, of course, ‘direct perception’) to relations governed by such laws.”
“Perhaps if [so-called higher mental processes] are reconsidered in relation to ecological perceiving they will begin to sort themselves out in a new and reasonable way that fits with the evidence.”
Gibson, 1979 p 255
Re-analysis of informationObjects and events structure energy
These structures are lawfully related to the properties in the world that cause them
Information is any structure that an organism can use to precipitate or control a behaviour
Not all behaviours are organised wrt the property of the world that caused the information
perception / action -> information / behaviour
Information / behaviour relations
Evolution● types of energy an organism is sensitive to ● biases to pick up certain types of information● predetermined or strongly constrained relations (e.g., reflexes /instincts)● sophistication of nervous system - ability to learn new information / behaviour relations
Learning● learn to detect structure?● learn to coordinate behaviour wrt structure?● organise behaviour wrt property causing structure or convention?● structure stability/availability/reliability?● precipitate or control an action?
Questions for classifying information (learning-related)
1. Does the organism learn to detect the structure?2. Does the organism learn to coordinate its behaviour wrt
the structure?3. Does the organism organise behaviour wrt property
causing structure or convention?4. How stable/available/reliable is the structure?5. Is the structure being used to precipitate or control an
action?
Human infant learning to walk● learn to detect structure? Yes
● learn to coordinate behaviour wrt structure?
Yes
● organise behaviour wrt property causing structure or convention?
Property causing structure
● structure stability/availability/reliability?
Structure stable within ecological scope, changes in real time w property of interest
● precipitate or control an action? Control
Human language postural entrainment ● learn to detect structure? Yes
● learn to coordinate behaviour wrt structure?
Yes
● organise behaviour wrt property causing structure or convention?
Property causing structure
● structure stability/availability/reliability?
Structure stable within ecological scope, changes in real time w property of interest
● precipitate or control an action? Control
Paradigmatic perceptual examples fit this mold
Human language listener response to “Turn left at the corner”
● learn to detect structure? Yes
● learn to coordinate behaviour wrt structure?
Yes
● organise behaviour wrt property causing structure or convention?
Convention - constrained by culture, linguistic context
● structure stability/availability/reliability?
Structure stable within ecological scope, reliable within language group / culture
● precipitate or control an action? Precipitate
Human language speaker producing “Turn left at the corner”
● learn to detect structure? Yes
● learn to coordinate behaviour wrt structure?
Yes
● organise behaviour wrt property causing structure or convention?
Property causing structure
● structure stability/availability/reliability?
Structure stable within ecological scope, changes in real time w property of interest
● precipitate or control an action? Control
Honeybee waggle dance users (von Frisch, 1967)
● learn to detect structure? No
● learn to coordinate behaviour wrt structure?
No
● organise behaviour wrt property causing structure or convention?
Convention - constrained by evolution
● structure stability/availability/reliability?
Structure stable within ecological scope, strongly correlated w property of interest
● precipitate or control an action? Precipitate
*The waggle dance is complex bc the behavioural repertoire of food- finding that it supports is complex (varies w relative position of sun, distance, and quality of food)
Honeybees associating blue cards with food (von Frisch, 1956)
● learn to detect structure? Yes
● learn to coordinate behaviour wrt structure?
Yes
● organise behaviour wrt property causing structure or convention?
Convention - constrained by experimenter
● structure stability/availability/reliability?
Structure stable within ecological scope, reliable within experimental context
● precipitate or control an action? Precipitate
Associative learning examples fit this mold
Recap● Perceptual information, ecologically defined, is only one
type of information● Others inc reflex, instinct, language● Some language-related behaviours are controlled by
perceptual information (e.g., postural sway, other types of entrainment)
● Some language-related behaviours are precipitated by conventional information
● Use of conventional information to precipitate behaviours is widespread (animal communication, operant learning)
Implications● Some aspects of language use do not
qualify as direct-perceptiono doesn’t mean that they require representations
● Not a clear perception vs language divideo requires task specificity
● In all cases an organism must learn how to organise its behaviour wrt relevant information
ConclusionThe field is aware that language presents a challenge for ecological psychology (Fowler, 1986; Gibson 1979)
Proposed framework draws out the differences rather than redefine original concepts
Still grounded in information
Method for systematising information / behaviour relations
Thanks!
Andrew WilsonAgnes Henson