Does Timbre Modulate Visual Perception? Exploring Crossmodal Interactions

Musical timbre is often described using terms from non-auditory senses, mainly vision and touch; but it is not clear whether crossmodality in timbre semantics reflects multisensory processing or simply linguistic convention. If multisensory processing is involved in timbre perception, the mechanism governing the interaction remains unknown. To investigate whether timbres commonly perceived as “bright-dark” facilitate or interfere with visual perception (darkness-brightness), we designed two speeded classification experiments. Participants were presented consecutive images of slightly varying (or the same) brightness along with task-irrelevant auditory primes (“bright” or “dark” tones) and asked to quickly identify whether the second image was brighter/darker than the first. Incongruent prime-stimulus combinations produced significantly more response errors compared to congruent combinations but choice reaction time was unaffected. Furthermore, responses in a deceptive identical-image condition indicated subtle semantically congruent response bias. Additionally, in Experiment 2 (which also incorporated a spatial texture task), measures of reaction time (RT) and accuracy were used to construct speed-accuracy tradeoff functions (SATFs) in order to critically compare two hypothesized mechanisms for timbre-based crossmodal interactions, sensory response change vs. shift in response criterion. Results of the SATF analysis are largely consistent with the response criterion hypothesis, although without conclusively ruling out sensory change.

A behavioural model of minority language shift: Theory and empirical evidence

Natural languages with their speech communities tend to compete for speakers, very much like firms compete for market shares. As a result, some languages suffer a shifting pressure which might lead them to their extinction. This work studies the dynamics of language shift in the context of modern bilingual societies like the Basque Country, Ireland and Wales. They all have two official languages, linguistically distant: A, spoken by all, and B, spoken by a bilingual minority. They also have a bilingual education system that ensures a steady flow of new bilinguals. However, a decay in the use of B is observed, signalling that shift processes are at work. To investigate this apparent paradox, we use a novel approach in the literature of language competition. We build a behavioural game model with which bilinguals choose either language A or B for each interaction. Thus, they play repeatedly the game. We present a theorem predicting that under reasonable assumptions, any given population of bilinguals will converge into a linguistic convention, namely into an evolutionary stable equilibrium of the game, that always embeds a proportion of bilinguals shifting to A. We validate this result by means of an empirical version of the model, showing that the predictions fit well the observed data of street use of Basque and daily use of Irish and Welsh.

„Po-nad-gramatyczność” (nie tylko) składni Norwida

The article discusses major characteristics of Norwid’s language and style in light of the concept of “hyper-grammaticality” [po-nad-gramatyczność] developed by the poet himself. Considered as a descriptive category, it organizes and foregrounds certain properties of his syntax as well as other elements. The adjective “hyper-grammatical” can be understood in three ways: 1. failing to comply with rules; 2. departing from linguistic convention; hence unconventional; 3. derived from a different level of language than grammar.Norwid’s works can be shown to display hyper-grammaticality in all of the above senses. Discussion of constructions that violate linguistic norms accounts for the following: anacoluthon,homonymic structures, obscurities related to functions of anaphoric elements, and disruptions of coherence. Unconventional elements departing from the epoch’s standards include, among other things, innovations in collocability, complications of syntax, numerous parenthetical remarks, and the usage of archaic constructions. In Norwid’s texts an important place is held not only by mechanisms proper to syntactical or grammatical level of enunciation, but also by phenomena present on other levels:meta-textualityandthematic-rhematic structure.

Embedded English verbs in Arabic-English code-switching in Egypt

Aims: This study provides new insights into Arabic-English code-switching with particular reference to verb insertion. It aims to identify (1) patterns of English verb insertion into Arabic; (2) factors affecting them. We offer an alternative to previous studies’ conclusions regarding a supposed lack of English verbs integrated morphologically into Arabic, which is claimed to result from incongruence between Arabic and English verb systems. Methodology: We employ the Matrix Language Frame (MLF) model and the 4-M model. Data and analysis: The data comprise 14,414 clauses obtained from interviews with students at the American University in Cairo. Data were analyzed quantitatively. Findings: Most (80.17%) of inserted verbs were inflected with Arabic tense, gender, and number prefixes showing morphological integration into Arabic. We distinguished four recurrent patterns in verb insertion: (1) complete morphological integration in the present tense; (2) incomplete assimilation of forms requiring the use of the plural suffix -u; (3) lack of morphological integration in the past tense; and (4) lack of suffixation of Arabic clitics to English verbs. Originality: This is the first study focusing on verb insertion in Arabic-English code-switching based on empirical data collected in Egypt. It offers different findings on verb patterns and their explanation compared with other quantitative studies based on the MLF model. We propose to look beyond incongruence between Arabic and English as a factor determining verb patterns to include linguistic convention. Thus, we hypothesize that verb insertion might be controlled by linguistic norms accepted and perpetuated in a given speech community. Significance: Contrary to previous claims, our results show that patterns of verb insertion in Arabic-English code-switching are consistent with the MLF model. Hence, the study contributes evidence for the MLF model and its explanatory value.

Linguistic Convention and Shared Mental Content

This chapter is the second of three that sets out a metaphysics of linguistic representation, and here I turn to the key ingredient of linguistic convention. The focus is on a tension between the apparently individualistic character of the metaphysics of mental representation given by Radical Interpretation, and the presupposition of shared mental content apparently presupposed by appeals to linguistic convention. By considering the way in which beliefs about others’ beliefs influence the metaphysics of mental representation, the apparent tension is resolved. Either belief-attributions characterize others’ mental states indirectly, as having content somehow related to the contents used to characterize them, or they don’t. In the first case, there is no presupposition of shared mental content in the characterization of conventions. In the second case, there is such a presupposition, but Radical Interpretation will predict that there is metasemantic pressure to attribute shared content.

Exaggeration and Invention

In Imagination and Convention Lepore and Stone make two sweeping claims about language, convention, and communication. One is that linguistic communication is of what is conventionally encoded. The other, complementary, claim is that when speakers use language in nonconventional ways, their intention is not to communicate some specific thing but rather to invite the hearer into a bit of “imaginative engagement.” So understanding an utterance requires no more than disambiguating it; insofar as imaginative interpretation is required, its aim is distinct from understanding the utterance. I agree with L&S that linguistic convention is much more comprehensive than traditionally supposed and that language is often used figuratively without specific communicative intentions, but their two claims go implausibly further. Both are subject to counterexample and counterargument, and rely on reasoning that downplays some distinctions and disregards others, as abetted by casual use of such key terms as “meaning,” “interpretation,” “convention,” and “Gricean.”

Convention, Intention, and the Conversational Record

Lepore and Stone 2015 advocate a view which turns the Gricean picture of meaning on its head: they argue that the most basic type of meaning intention is one which presupposes the notion of conventional meaning. In this essay, I argue that evidence from language acquisition supports the Gricean view, according to which communicative intentions are analytically more basic than linguistic convention. I point out further, though, that Grice’s view recognizes the role of conventionality in meaning, a point neglected in Lepore and Stone’s critique. Lepore and Stone extend their convention-driven view by advocating a model on which the Conversational Record reflects only conventionally licensed conversational updates. I present evidence from conversation that shows that such a view of the record cannot account for certain types of standard conversational events.