scholarly journals The Role of UID for the Usage of Verb Phrase Ellipsis: Psycholinguistic Evidence From Length and Context Effects

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Schäfer ◽  
Robin Lemke ◽  
Heiner Drenhaus ◽  
Ingo Reich
Keyword(s):  
Context Effects ◽  
Verb Phrase Ellipsis ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Verb Phrase ◽  
Information Density ◽  
Full Form ◽  
Processing Effort ◽  
Increased Pressure ◽  
Length Effects

We investigate the underexplored question of when speakers make use of the omission phenomenon verb phrase ellipsis (VPE) in English given that the full form is also available to them. We base the interpretation of our results on the well-established information-theoretic Uniform Information Density (UID) hypothesis: Speakers tend to distribute processing effort uniformly across utterances and avoid regions of low information by omitting redundant material through, e.g., VPE. We investigate the length of the omittable VP and its predictability in context as sources of redundancy which lead to larger or deeper regions of low information and an increased pressure to use ellipsis. We use both naturalness rating and self-paced reading studies in order to link naturalness patterns to potential processing difficulties. For the length effects our rating and reading results support a UID account. Surprisingly, we do not find an effect of the context on the naturalness and the processing of VPE. We suggest that our manipulation might have been too weak or not effective to evidence such an effect.

scholarly journals Distinct facial expressions represent pain and pleasure across cultures

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (43) ◽  
pp. E10013-E10021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaona Chen ◽  
Carlos Crivelli ◽  
Oliver G. B. Garrod ◽  
Philippe G. Schyns ◽  
José-Miguel Fernández-Dols ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Mental Representations ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Complementary Approach ◽  
Dynamic Facial Expressions ◽  
Negative Affective States ◽  
Affective Experiences ◽  
New Research

Real-world studies show that the facial expressions produced during pain and orgasm—two different and intense affective experiences—are virtually indistinguishable. However, this finding is counterintuitive, because facial expressions are widely considered to be a powerful tool for social interaction. Consequently, debate continues as to whether the facial expressions of these extreme positive and negative affective states serve a communicative function. Here, we address this debate from a novel angle by modeling the mental representations of dynamic facial expressions of pain and orgasm in 40 observers in each of two cultures (Western, East Asian) using a data-driven method. Using a complementary approach of machine learning, an information-theoretic analysis, and a human perceptual discrimination task, we show that mental representations of pain and orgasm are physically and perceptually distinct in each culture. Cross-cultural comparisons also revealed that pain is represented by similar face movements across cultures, whereas orgasm showed distinct cultural accents. Together, our data show that mental representations of the facial expressions of pain and orgasm are distinct, which questions their nondiagnosticity and instead suggests they could be used for communicative purposes. Our results also highlight the potential role of cultural and perceptual factors in shaping the mental representation of these facial expressions. We discuss new research directions to further explore their relationship to the production of facial expressions.

scholarly journals Placebo interventions, placebo effects and clinical practice

2011 ◽  
Vol 366 (1572) ◽  
pp. 1905-1912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Linde ◽  
Margrit Fässler ◽  
Karin Meissner
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Context Effects ◽  
Clinical Investigation ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Placebo Effects ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Placebo Intervention ◽  
Therapeutic Context

This article reviews the role of placebo interventions and placebo effects in clinical practice. We first describe the relevance of different perspectives among scientists, physicians and patients on what is considered a placebo intervention in clinical practice. We then summarize how placebo effects have been investigated in randomized controlled trials under the questionable premise that such effects are produced by placebo interventions. We further discuss why a shift of focus from the placebo intervention to the overall therapeutic context is necessary and what research methods can be used for the clinical investigation of the relevance of context effects. In the last part of the manuscript, we discuss why placebo or context effects are seen as positive in clinical practice when they are associated with active treatments, while placebo interventions pose major ethical and professional problems and have to be avoided.

Cognitive penetration: Would we know it if we saw it?

1999 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 390-391
Author(s):  
Gillian Rhodes ◽  
Michael L. Kalish
Keyword(s):  
Signal Detection ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Context Effects ◽  
Cognitive Penetration ◽  
Computational Power ◽  
Early Vision ◽  
Perceptual Cues ◽  
Perceptual Attention

How can the impenetrability hypothesis be empirically tested? We comment on the role of signal detection measures, suggesting that context effects on discriminations for which post-perceptual cues are irrelevant, or on neural activity associated with early vision, would challenge impenetrability. We also note the great computational power of the proposed pre-perceptual attention processes and consider the implications for testability of the theory.

scholarly journals Workforce education diversity, work organization and innovation propensity

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Bello-Pintado ◽  
Carlos Bianchi
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Context Effects ◽  
Evolutionary Economics ◽  
Work Organization ◽  
Capabilities Approach ◽  
Organizational Practices ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moderating Role

PurposeDiversity of people, knowledge and resources has been identified as a determinant of firms' growth. This paper focusses on innovation propensity as a critical dimension of firm's growth path, aiming to analyse the effects of the firm's horizontal educational diversity (HED) on the propensity to conduct different technological innovation activities (TIAs). In addition, considering the evidence showing that these effects are neither direct nor linear, the authors analyse the moderating role of the firm's organizational practices oriented to knowledge sharing (KS) on the association between HED and the adoption of TIAs.Design/methodology/approachFollowing the theoretical arguments of the resource-based view (RBV), the evolutionary economics and the dynamic capabilities approach and related empirical evidences, the authors proposed four hypotheses regarding the effect of HED on TIAs and the moderating role of work organization practices oriented to promote KS. Empirically, the authors calculated different HED diversity indexes capturing two basic dimensions: variety and balance. Hence, using instrumental variables and panel data techniques to control endogeneity biases, the authors tested the proposed hypotheses using a data set of Uruguayan manufacturing firms between 2004 and 2015.FindingsIn line with previous evidence, results showed idiosyncratic context effects. The authors found a robust, linear, positive and significant relationship between HED and TIAs, but the effect can only be consistently associated with the adoption of internal or external research and development (R&D) activities. Moreover, the moderating role of work organization practices oriented to promote KS is positive and significant when firms engage in TIAs. For technological innovations that only involve the acquisiton of technology (AT), a positive effect is also observed but always associated to organizational practices oriented to promote KS.Originality/valueThis paper revisits the analysis of workforce diversity for a relatively less explored context. This research contributes to the field by linking HED and work organization practices to understand firm's innovation propensity in a developing context. Moreover, while other studies have focussed only on top management or R&D team diversity, the authors have analysed the whole professional's workforce. It allows the authors to discuss the effects of diversity on innovation propensity in the light of the ongoing debate on the effects of innovation in employment.

On the syntactic status of sentential adverbs and modal particles

2010 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvio Cruschina
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Role ◽  
Verb Phrase ◽  
Modal Particles ◽  
Word Classes ◽  
Syntactic Status ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Modal Adverbs

AbstractThis paper sets out a number of reasons for establishing a distinction between sentential (modal) adverbs and modal particles. Adverbs and particles are generally difficult to define as two distinct and independent word classes in terms of unitary criteria and distinctive properties. The traditional role of an adverb is that of modifying a verb or a verb phrase. In reality, adverbs also modify adjectives, sentences, and other adverbs. Particles also serve a sort of ‘modification’ function. Modal particles, for example, take the whole sentence as their object and fit its content to the context of speech. This ‘vague’ similarity, though, should not be interpreted as a motivation for assimilating the two categories, especially when other syntactic properties, such as the sentential position, the distribution, and the sensitivity to sentence types, together with their correlated semantic interpretations, are taken into consideration.

THE ROLE OF LITERARY WORKS IN THE FORMATION OF VALUE ORIENTATIONS IN ADOLESCENTS: PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuliia Breus ◽  
Roman Kozlov ◽  
Tetiana Virchenko
Keyword(s):  
Value Orientations ◽  
Value System ◽  
Literary Works ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Sample Characteristics ◽  
Basic Concepts ◽  
Character Building ◽  
Intensive Development

The article is devoted to the problem of developing values among adolescents, along with the significance of literature in this process. Adolescence with all its complexity and contradictions is a period of intensive development of the value system, which influences both character-building and personality in general. The authors of the study have identified fundamental characteristics of values and value perspectives of youth, and reasonably established specific factors in their formation while studying literary works. A teenager perceives life values only in personal, concrete embodiment. For this reason, literary works and their protagonists are rightly considered an effective way of passing on a set of values from generation to generation. The information theoretic unit of the article is complemented by the results of the empiric interdisciplinary research with basic concepts defined, sample characteristics and research methods given, and the outcomes of the experiment presented. Using M. Rokeach’s value list, the authors have defined the value system of modern adolescents, and analyzed the mechanisms of their formation through the curriculum pieces of Ukrainian literature.

scholarly journals Cooperation-Controlled Learning for Explicit Class Structure in Self-Organizing Maps

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryotaro Kamimura
Keyword(s):  
Cooperative Networks ◽  
Class Structure ◽  
Small Individual ◽  
Self Organizing Maps ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
New Type ◽  
Points Of View ◽  
Information Theoretic Method ◽  
Self Organizing

We attempt to demonstrate the effectiveness of multiple points of view toward neural networks. By restricting ourselves to two points of view of a neuron, we propose a new type of information-theoretic method called “cooperation-controlled learning.” In this method, individual and collective neurons are distinguished from one another, and we suppose that the characteristics of individual and collective neurons are different. To implement individual and collective neurons, we prepare two networks, namely, cooperative and uncooperative networks. The roles of these networks and the roles of individual and collective neurons are controlled by the cooperation parameter. As the parameter is increased, the role of cooperative networks becomes more important in learning, and the characteristics of collective neurons become more dominant. On the other hand, when the parameter is small, individual neurons play a more important role. We applied the method to the automobile and housing data from the machine learning database and examined whether explicit class boundaries could be obtained. Experimental results showed that cooperation-controlled learning, in particular taking into account information on input units, could be used to produce clearer class structure than conventional self-organizing maps.

Conjonctions de subordination et adverbes conjonctifs «  focalisateurs  »

2004 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-328
Author(s):  
Mireille Piot
Keyword(s):  
Semantic Relations ◽  
Romance Languages ◽  
Verb Phrase ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Common ◽  
Syntactic Properties

SummaryIn this paper, we present a unified hypothesis about «focusing» conjunctional adverbs and subordinating conjunctions in French. A similar hypothesis is to be taken to hold at all romance languages as we argue after Piot (2003) mentioned above. At first, differences are to be observed between this case (with “focus”) and another case in which the same conjunctional items are purely conjunctions (coordinating or subordinating, but without “focus”). Then, we point out which are the common semantic and syntactic properties of the global “focus” operation related to all these items (parallelism between sentences and nominal phrases correlated by these conjunctional items, inclusion or union semantic relations between nominal phrases in some respects ensembles theory relations alike: the addition of syntactic-semantic specific items shares this inclusion or union relation). In particular, this study highlights, as a result, the role of the subject nature of the conjoined first sentence and the syntactic-semantic nature of the verb-phrase in the second sentence. Another study (to appear) will present the results about distinctions in this operation according to the particular significance of each different item.

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