Cognitive principles of genetic constructivism

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ladislav Kvasz ◽  
Derek Pilous
Keyword(s):  
2009 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 111-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick C. Ellis ◽  
Teresa Cadierno

This Special Section brings together researchers who adopt a constructional approach to Second Language Acquisition (SLA) as informed by Cognitive and Corpus Linguistics, approaches which fall under the general umbrella of Usage-based Linguistics. The articles present psycholinguistic and corpus linguistic evidence for L2 constructions and for the inseparability of lexis and grammar. They consider the psycholinguistics of language learning following general cognitive principles of category learning, with schematic constructions emerging from usage. They analyze how learning is driven by the frequency and frequency distribution of exemplars within construction, the salience of their form, the significance of their functional interpretation, the match of their meaning to the construction prototype, and the reliability of their mappings. They explore conceptual transfer and the acquisition of second language meaning. They consider the implications of these phenomena for L2 instruction.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Leor Zmigrod

Abstract Ideological behavior has traditionally been viewed as a product of social forces. Nonetheless, an emerging science suggests that ideological worldviews can also be understood in terms of neural and cognitive principles. The article proposes a neurocognitive model of ideological thinking, arguing that ideological worldviews may be manifestations of individuals’ perceptual and cognitive systems. This model makes two claims. First, there are neurocognitive antecedents to ideological thinking: the brain’s low-level neurocognitive dispositions influence its receptivity to ideological doctrines. Second, there are neurocognitive consequences to ideological engagement: strong exposure and adherence to ideological doctrines can shape perceptual and cognitive systems. This article details the neurocognitive model of ideological thinking and synthesizes the empirical evidence in support of its claims. The model postulates that there are bidirectional processes between the brain and the ideological environment, and so it can address the roles of situational and motivational factors in ideologically motivated action. This endeavor highlights that an interdisciplinary neurocognitive approach to ideologies can facilitate biologically informed accounts of the ideological brain and thus reveal who is most susceptible to extreme and authoritarian ideologies. By investigating the relationships between low-level perceptual processes and high-level ideological attitudes, we can develop a better grasp of our collective history as well as the mechanisms that may structure our political futures.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1557-1572
Author(s):  
Simon Horton ◽  
Stan Nowak ◽  
Pascal Haegeli

Abstract. Forecasting snow avalanches requires a reliable stream of field observations, which are often difficult and expensive to collect. Despite the increasing capability of simulating snowpack conditions with physical models, models have seen limited adoption by avalanche forecasters. Feedback from forecasters suggests that model data are presented in ways that are difficult to interpret and irrelevant to operational needs. We apply a visualization design framework to enhance the value of snowpack models to avalanche forecasters. An established risk-based avalanche forecasting workflow is used to define the ways forecasters solve problems with snowpack data. We suggest that model data be visualized in ways that directly support common forecasting tasks such as identifying snowpack features related to avalanche problems and locating avalanche problems in terrain at relevant spatial scales. Examples of visualizations that support these tasks and follow established perceptual and cognitive principles from the field of information visualization are presented. Interactive designs play a critical role in understanding these complex datasets and are well suited for forecasting workflows. Although extensive user testing is still needed to evaluate the effectiveness of these designs, visualization design principles open the door to more relevant and interpretable applications of snowpack model for avalanche forecasters. This work sets the stage for implementing snowpack models into visualization tools where forecasters can test their operational value and learn their capabilities and deficiencies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Lars Kuchinke ◽  
Julian Keil ◽  
Dennis Edler ◽  
Anne-Kathrin Bestgen ◽  
Frank Dickmann

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Reading spatial information from topographic maps to form mental representations that guide spatial orientation and navigation is a rather complex cognitive process. Perceptual and knowledge-driven processes interact to support the map reader in building these mental representations. The resulting cognitive maps are not one-to-one mappings of the spatial information and known to be distorted systematically. It is assumed that spatial information is hierarchically organized in these mental models. We are interested in how map design based on cognitive principles supports memory formation and leads to less distorted mental representations.</p><p>Based on the results of empirical studies we are able to show that overlaid grids in these maps address the hierarchical nature of these mental representations of map space. When map users are asked to learn object locations in a map the availability of overlaid grid layers improve object location memory. This effect is independent of the shape of these grid patterns (square grids or hexagonal grids) and, moreover, can be shown to be effective even in situations where the grids are interrupted by other maps layers (i.e. so-called illusory grids).</p><p>These results seem best explained by the formation of less distorted mental representations based on the availability of superordinate hierarchical information and the application of Gestalt principles by the map user. Thus again, point to the interaction between perceptual and knowledge-driven processes in the formation of these mental representations of map space. This assumption receives further support by eye-tracking data that reveal that grids do not only attract attention towards their own location but also seem to structure the gaze patterns in relation to the relevant object locations that are not necessarily located close to a grid line.</p>


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Xu ◽  
Barbara Claire Malt ◽  
Mahesh Srinivasan

One way that languages are able to communicate a potentially infinite set of ideas through a finite lexicon is by compressing emerging meanings into words, such that over time, individual words come to express multiple, related senses of meaning. We propose that overarching communicative and cognitive pressures have created systematic directionality in how new metaphorical senses have developed from existing word senses over the history of English. Given a large set of pairs of semantic domains, we used computational models to test which domains have been more commonly the starting points (source domains) and which the ending points (target domains) of metaphorical mappings over the past millennium. We found that a compact set of variables, including externality, embodiment, and valence, explain directionality in the majority of about 5000 metaphorical mappings recorded over the past 1100 years. These results provide the first large-scale historical evidence that metaphorical mapping is systematic, and driven by measurable communicative and cognitive principles.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-40

The study aimed at exploring EFL teachers' perspectives towards cognitive, affective and linguistic teaching principles while teaching English as a foreign language. To conduct the study, the researchers prepared a questionnaire of 30 items that was distributed into three group domains. The first group was the cognitive principles. The second one was the affective principles, and the third group was the linguistic principles. Forty-six male and female EFL teachers responded to the questionnaire's items. Suitable statistical analyses were used to analyze the data. The results of the study pointed out that EFL teachers had positive perspectives towards these teaching principles, as the analysis showed that they looked at these principles positively and they gave them their utmost care and concern. Besides, the analysis showed that the cognitive principles came in the first rank compared with the other two groups (affective and linguistic) as they got the highest mean. Moreover, the results revealed that there were no statistical significant differences, regarding gender, in the participants' perspectives towards the importance of these teaching principles while teaching English as a foreign language as the means of males and females were closer to each other. Keywords: Cognitive Principles, Affective Principles, Linguistic Principles, Foreign language.


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