Lexicon Convergence in a Population With and Without Metacommunication

Zoran Macura, Jonathan Ginzburg

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference paper

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

How does a shared lexicon arise in population of agents with differing lexicons, and how can this shared lexicon be maintained over multiple generations? In order to get some insight into these questions we present an ALife model in which the lexicon dynamics of populations that possess and lack metacommunicative interaction (MCI) capabilities are compared. We suggest that MCI serves as a key component in the maintenance of a linguistic interaction system. We ran a series of experiments on mono-generational and multi-generational populations whose initial state involved agents possessing distinct lexicons. These experiments reveal some clear differences in the lexicon dynamics of populations that acquire words solely by introspection contrasted with populations that learn using MCI or using a mixed strategy of introspection and MCI. Over a single generation the performance between the populations with and without MCI is comparable, in that the lexicon converges and is shared by the whole population. In multi-generational populations lexicon diverges at a faster rate for an introspective population, eventually consisting of one word being associated with every meaning, compared with MCI capable populations in which the lexicon is maintained, where every meaning is associated with a unique word.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSymbol Grounding and Beyond
Subtitle of host publicationThird International Workshop on the Emergence and Evolution of Linguistic Communication, EELC 2006, Rome, Italy, September 30 – October 1, 2006. Proceedings
EditorsPaul Vogt, Yuuya Sugita, Elio Tuci, Chrystopher Nehaniv
PublisherSpringer Berlin Heidelberg
Pages100 - 112
Number of pages13
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-540-45771-8
ISBN (Print)978-3-540-45769-5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2006
EventThird International Workshop on the Emergence and Evolution of Linguistic Communication - Rome, Italy
Duration: 30 Sept 20061 Oct 2006

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science
PublisherSpringer Berlin Heidelberg
Volume4211
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

ConferenceThird International Workshop on the Emergence and Evolution of Linguistic Communication
Country/TerritoryItaly
CityRome
Period30/09/20061/10/2006

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