scholarly journals Operationalizing Intentionality in Primate Communication: Social and Ecological Considerations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelina D. Rodrigues ◽  
Marlen Fröhlich
Keyword(s):  
Nonhuman Primate ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Communication Studies ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Primate Communication ◽  
Intentional Communication ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
Transfer Of Information ◽  
Behavioral Markers

AbstractAn intentional transfer of information is central to human communication. When comparing nonhuman primate communication systems to language, a critical challenge is to determine whether a signal is used in intentional, goal-oriented ways. As it is not possible to directly observe psychological states in any species, comparative researchers have inferred intentionality via behavioral markers derived from studies on prelinguistic human children. Recent efforts to increase consistency in nonhuman primate communication studies undervalue the effect of possible sources of bias: some behavioral markers are not generalizable across certain signal types (gestures, vocalizations, and facial expressions), contexts, settings, and species. Despite laudable attempts to operationalize first-order intentionality across signal types, a true “multimodal” approach requires integration across their sensory components (visual-silent, contact, audible), as a signal from a certain type can comprise more than one sensory component. Here we discuss how the study of intentional communication in nonlinguistic systems is hampered by issues of reliability, validity, consistency, and generalizability. We then highlight future research avenues that may help to understand the use of goal-oriented communication by opting, whenever possible, for reliable, valid, and consistent behavioral markers, but also taking into account sampling biases and integrating detailed observations of intraspecific communicative interactions.

scholarly journals Operationalizing intentionality in primate communication: Social and ecological considerations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelina Daniela Rodrigues ◽  
Marlen Fröhlich
Keyword(s):  
Nonhuman Primate ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Communication Studies ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Primate Communication ◽  
Intentional Communication ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
First Order ◽  
Transfer Of Information

An intentional transfer of information is central to human communication. When comparing nonhuman primate communication systems to language, a critical challenge is to determine whether a signaller intends for the recipient to derive a particular meaning from the message contained in the signal. As it is not possible to directly observe psychological states in any species, comparative researchers have inferred intentionality via behavioural markers derived from studies on pre-linguistic human children. Recent efforts to increase consistency between nonhuman primate communication studies undervalue the effect of possible sources of bias: some behavioural markers are not generalizable across certain signal types (gestures, vocalizations, and facial expressions), contexts, settings and species. Despite laudable attempts to operationalise first-order intentionality across signal types, a true “multimodal” approach requires integration across their sensory components (visual-silent; contact; audible), as a signal from a certain type can comprise more than one sensory component. Here we discuss how the study of intentional communication in non-linguistic systems is hampered by issues of reliability, validity, consistency, and generalizability. We then highlight future research avenues that may help to understand the use of goal-oriented communication by opting, whenever possible, for reliable, valid, and consistent behavioural markers, but taking into account sampling biases and integrating detailed observations of intra-specific communicative interactions.

scholarly journals Inferential Communication: Bridging the Gap Between Intentional and Ostensive Communication in Non-human Primates

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Warren ◽  
Josep Call
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Complexity ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Communication Model ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Primate Communication ◽  
Intentional Communication ◽  
Human Primate

Communication, when defined as an act intended to affect the psychological state of another individual, demands the use of inference. Either the signaler, the recipient, or both must make leaps of understanding which surpass the semantic information available and draw from pragmatic clues to fully imbue and interpret meaning. While research into human communication and the evolution of language has long been comfortable with mentalistic interpretations of communicative exchanges, including rich attributions of mental state, research into animal communication has balked at theoretical models which describe mentalized cognitive mechanisms. We submit a new theoretical perspective on animal communication: the model of inferential communication. For use when existing proximate models of animal communication are not sufficient to fully explain the complex, flexible, and intentional communication documented in certain species, specifically non-human primates, we present our model as a bridge between shallower, less cognitive descriptions of communicative behavior and the perhaps otherwise inaccessible mentalistic interpretations of communication found in theoretical considerations of human language. Inferential communication is a framework that builds on existing evidence of referentiality, intentionality, and social inference in primates. It allows that they might be capable of applying social inferences to a communicative setting, which could explain some of the cognitive processes that enable the complexity and flexibility of primate communication systems. While historical models of animal communication focus on the means-ends process of behavior and apparent cognitive outcomes, inferential communication invites consideration of the mentalistic processes that must underlie those outcomes. We propose a mentalized approach to questions, investigations, and interpretations of non-human primate communication. We include an overview of both ultimate and proximate models of animal communication, which contextualize the role and utility of our inferential communication model, and provide a detailed breakdown of the possible levels of cognitive complexity which could be investigated using this framework. Finally, we present some possible applications of inferential communication in the field of non-human primate communication and highlight the role it could play in advancing progress toward an increasingly precise understanding of the cognitive capabilities of our closest living relatives.

scholarly journals Convergent minds: ostension, inference and Grice's third clause

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 20160107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Moore
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Intentional Communication ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
Successful Communication ◽  
Gricean Communication ◽  
Ostensive Communication ◽  
Intentional Structure ◽  
Prevailing View

A prevailing view is that while human communication has an ‘ostensive-inferential’ or ‘Gricean’ intentional structure, animal communication does not. This would make the psychological states that support human and animal forms of communication fundamentally different. Against this view, I argue that there are grounds to expect ostensive communication in non-human clades. This is because it is sufficient for ostensive communication that one intentionally addresses one's utterance to one's intended interlocutor—something that is both a functional pre-requisite of successful communication and cognitively undemanding. Furthermore, while ostension is an important feature of intentional communication, the inferences required in Gricean communication may be minimal: ostension and inference may come apart. The grounds for holding that animal communication could not be Gricean are therefore weak. I finish by defending the idea that a ‘minimally Gricean’ model of communication is a valuable tool for characterizing the communicative interactions of many animal species.

Primate Vocal Communication and the Evolution of Speech

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-60
Author(s):  
Julia Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Nonhuman Primate ◽  
Nonhuman Primates ◽  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Internal State ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Primate Communication ◽  
Evolution Of Speech ◽  
Primate Vocal Communication ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Shed Light

Studies of nonhuman primate communication are often motivated by the desire to shed light on the evolution of speech. In contrast to human speech, the vocal repertoires of nonhuman primates are evolutionarily highly conserved. Within species-specific constraints, calls may vary in relation to the internal state of the caller or social experience. Receivers can use signalers’ calls to predict upcoming events or behavioral dispositions. Yet nonhuman primates do not appear to express or comprehend communicative or informative intent. Signalers are sensitive to the relation between their own actions and receivers’ responses, and thus, signaling behavior can be conceived as goal directed. Receivers’ ability to integrate information from multiple sources renders the system flexible and powerful. Researchers who take a linguistic or biological perspective on nonhuman primate communication should be aware of the strengths and limitations of their approaches. Both benefit from a focus on the mechanisms that underpin signaling and responses to signals.

Breath, Breathe, Breathing: Communication in/as Acts of Social Justice (A Metaphorical Performative Assemblage)

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 314-325
Author(s):  
Bryant Keith Alexander ◽  
Timothy Huffman ◽  
Amber Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Communication Studies ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Critical Dialogue

This performative essay is a redrafting and extension of a critical dialogue following a public presentation on the nature and importance of communication studies. The dialogue is framed by using the metaphor of breathing, as it relates to particular links between human communication and communication activist research.

scholarly journals Communicating through music: creating accessible songs for Individuals with memory loss

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hallie Anthony
Keyword(s):  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Information Retention ◽  
Scholarly Literature ◽  
Musical Compositions ◽  
Original Musical ◽  
With Memory

This Major Research Paper (MRP) is a research-­creation project that explores the role, impact and influence of music n human communication. More specifically, this MRP investigates the way that music can assist in cognitive comprehension and information retention in individuals with varied forms of memory loss and considers the ways that music can be used to assist in aiding verbal memory and communicating emotion. It also offers insight on methods that could be utilized to further study this area of research. As a research-­creation project, this MRP includes three original musical compositions (Composition A1, Composition B2, and Composition C3) that were developed in response to the scholarly literature on this topic. The three musical compositions that have been produced for this project aim to communicate emotion, create aesthetic satisfaction, and aid in reinforcing the production of memories based on the information presented in the compositions. The composition creation process was informed by information gathered throughout the research process that addresses topics such as: the influence of music on individual listeners, emotion in music, and musical techniques that can be used to successfully communicate ideas. Beyond the scope of this MRP/research-­creation project, these compositions aim to serve as a basis for testing cognitive function in individuals with varied forms of memory loss. Detailed discussion of the design of the musical compositions, including information related to the composition influences, and a breakdown of each composition are included alongside the MRP’s focus on scholarly literature and research. Furthermore, the potential implications of these compositions, including the ways they could assist in future research, is discussed.

How to create a human communication system

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 314-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casey J. Lister ◽  
Nicolas Fay
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Communication System ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sign Systems ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Interactive Feedback ◽  
Single Modality

Following a synthesis of naturalistic and experimental studies of language creation, we propose a theoretical model that describes the process through which human communication systems might arise and evolve. Three key processes are proposed that give rise to effective, efficient and shared human communication systems: (1) motivated signs that directly resemble their meaning facilitate cognitive alignment, improving communication success; (2) behavioral alignment onto an inventory of shared sign-to-meaning mappings bolsters cognitive alignment between interacting partners; (3) sign refinement, through interactive feedback, enhances the efficiency of the evolving communication system. By integrating the findings across a range of diverse studies, we propose a theoretical model of the process through which the earliest human communication systems might have arisen and evolved. Importantly, because our model is not bound to a single modality it can describe the creation of shared sign systems across a range of contexts, informing theories of language creation and evolution.

Careless Responding and Insufficient Effort Responding

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason L. Huang ◽  
Zhonghao Wang
Keyword(s):  
Control Variable ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individual Response ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
Deviant Behaviors ◽  
Fit Statistics ◽  
Careless Responding ◽  
Survey Length ◽  
Business And Management

Careless responding, also known as insufficient effort responding, refers to survey/test respondents providing random, inattentive, or inconsistent answers to question items due to lack of effort in conforming to instructions, interpreting items, and/or providing accurate responses. Researchers often use these two terms interchangeably to describe deviant behaviors in survey/test responding that threaten data quality. Careless responding threatens the validity of research findings by bringing in random and systematic errors. Specifically, careless responding can reduce measurement reliability, while under specific circumstances it can also inflate the substantive relations between variables. Numerous factors can explain why careless responding happens (or does not happen), such as individual difference characteristics (e.g., conscientiousness), survey characteristics (e.g., survey length), and transient psychological states (e.g., positive and negative affect). To identify potential careless responding, researchers can use procedural detection methods and post hoc statistical methods. For example, researchers can insert detection items (e.g., infrequency items, instructed response items) into the questionnaire, monitor participants’ response time, and compute statistical indices, such as psychometric antonym/synonym, Mahalanobis distance, individual reliability, individual response variability, and model fit statistics. Application of multiple detection methods would be better able to capture careless responding given convergent evidence. Comparison of results based on data with and without careless respondents can help evaluate the degree to which the data are influenced by careless responding. To handle data contaminated by careless responding, researchers may choose to filter out identified careless respondents, recode careless responses as missing data, or include careless responding as a control variable in the analysis. To prevent careless responding, researchers have tried utilizing various deterrence methods developed from motivational and social interaction theories. These methods include giving warning, rewarding, or educational messages, proctoring the process of responding, and designing user-friendly surveys. Interest in careless responding has been growing not only in business and management but also in other related disciplines. Future research and practice on careless responding in the business and management areas can also benefit from findings in other related disciplines.

Unbounded Dependency Constructions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui P. Chaves ◽  
Michael T. Putnam
Keyword(s):  
Communication Systems ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Psycholinguistic Research ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Unbounded Dependencies ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Grammatical Structures ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Shed Light

This book is about one of the most intriguing features of human communication systems: the fact that words which go together in meaning can occur arbitrarily far away from each other. The kind of long-distance dependency that this volume is concerned with has been the subject of intense linguistic and psycholinguistic research for the last half century, and offers a unique insight into the nature of grammatical structures and their interaction with cognition. The constructions in which these unbounded dependencies arise are difficult to model and come with a rather puzzling array of constraints which have defied characterization and a proper explanation. For example, there are filler-gap dependencies in which the filler phrase is a plural phrase formed from the combination of each of the extracted phrases, and there are filler-gap constructions in which the filler phrase itself contains a gap that is linked to another filler phrase. What is more, different types of filler-gap dependency can compound, in the same sentence. Conversely, not all kinds of filler-gap dependencies are equally licit; some are robustly ruled out by the grammar whereas others have a less clear status because they have graded acceptability and can be made to improve in ideal contexts and conditions. This work provides a detailed survey of these linguistic phenomena and extant accounts, while also incorporating new experimental evidence to shed light on why the phenomena are the way they are and what important research on this topic lies ahead.

Modulation and Coding Techniques for Inter-Vehicular Communications

2012 ◽  
pp. 48-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corneliu Eugen D. Sterian
Keyword(s):  
Communication Systems ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Vehicular Communications ◽  
Moving Vehicle ◽  
Space Time Coding ◽  
Mobile Channel ◽  
Noncoherent Communications ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Direct Inter

Direct inter-vehicular communications are presumably more difficult to perform than communications within a cellular network or between a moving vehicle and the roadside, where there is a large fixed infrastructure. It is assumed in this chapter that the mobile channel between the two vehicles is so rapidly variable that it is not possible to measure it in real-time. The authors therefore selected and considered only modulation and coding techniques for which the knowledge of the channel state was not necessary at both the transmitter and the receiver, that is, differential and noncoherent communications. To be realistic, only space-time coding communication systems with two transmit antennas were considered. The authors have purposely avoided too much theoretical development, with the intent of making clear that the implementation of all the techniques mentioned in this chapter, it should not be a too difficult task for the electronic technology of today. Future research directions are also suggested to conclude the chapter.

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