Context and Accidental Humour: The Import of the Sociolinguistic Situation in Linguistic Errors on Public Signage in Kenya

This paper analyses the distinctive context surrounding the erroneous signage in certain public notices in Kenya. More specifically, it seeks to determine how contextual cues go a long way in assisting the reader to comprehend the distinctive genre of humour under consideration in this paper. Ostensibly, the linguistic landscape of Kenya is ridden in plenteous of signage containing numerous translational errors, which eventually yield accidental humour. In order to achieve the above requires the application of the General Verbal Theory of Humour by Attardo and Raskin (1991) to context where language use is put into consideration. The data was collected from the field by photographing erroneous signage where ten public notices were aptly analysed for their specious nature, which eventually resulted into accidental humour. Specifically, their unique context was further scrutinised to identify the precise components within which the author operated and an attempt to recover the lost interpretation in order to understand the resultant humour. Data presentation involved use of tables to summarise and indicate relationship of crucial contextual components. The paper sheds light on the importance of context to understand humour, enriches translational linguistics and boosts pedagogy in relation to language performance. The study concluded that specific category of humour in the selected signage in this paper requires a complete understanding of the author’s situational background. The study recommended that the types of linguistic incongruities as well as how they are resolved to produce accidental humour would go a long way in understanding this category of humour.

How to Translate a Verbal Theory Into a Formal Model

Turning verbal theories into formal models is an essential business of a mature science. Here I elaborate on taxonomies of models, provide ten lessons for translating a verbal theory into a formal model, and discuss the specific challenges involved in collaborations between modelers and non-modelers. It’s a start.

How to translate a verbal theory into a formal model

Turning verbal theories into formal models is an essential business of a mature science. Here I elaborate on taxonomies of models, provide ten lessons for translating a verbal theory into a formal model, and discuss the specific challenges involved in collaborations between modelers and non-modelers. It's a start.

Impaired social cognition in bipolar disorder: A meta-analysis of Theory of Mind in euthymic patients

Objective: To conduct a meta-analysis of Theory of Mind studies exclusively in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder. Method: After the exclusion of studies evaluating symptomatic patients during acute episodes, we performed a meta-analysis including a total of 30 studies, comparing 1294 euthymic bipolar disorder patients and 1116 healthy controls. Results: Patients with bipolar disorder presented a significant impairment in Theory of Mind performance when compared to controls (Hedge’s g = −0.589, 95% confidence interval: −0.764 to −0.414, Z = −6.594, p < 0.001). When compared to controls, Theory of Mind was impaired in patients with both bipolar disorder I (Hedge’s g = −0.663, 95% confidence interval: −0.954 to −0.372, Z = −4.462, p < 0.001) and bipolar disorder II (Hedge’s g = −1.165, 95% confidence interval: −1.915 to −0.415, Z = −3.044, p = 0.002). Theory of Mind impairments were also significantly more severe in verbal tasks (Hedge’s g = −1.077, 95% confidence interval: −1.610 to −0.544, Z = −3.961 p < 0.001) than visual tasks (Hedge’s g =−0.614, 95% confidence interval: −0.844 to −0.384, Z = −5.231, p < 0.001) when compared to controls. Conclusion: The results obtained confirm that Theory of Mind is impaired in remitted bipolar disorder patients, being a potential endophenotype for bipolar disorder. Moreover, we found higher deficits in verbal Theory of Mind, compared with visual Theory of Mind. Since most studies were cross-sectional, there is a need for longitudinal studies to evaluate whether the deficits detected in Theory of Mind are progressive over the course of the illness.

Developmental progression of mental state understandings in infancy

This study establishes a sequence of developing mental state understandings in infants. We used three violation-of-expectation paradigms to assess fifty-seven 16-month-olds’ ability to (a) infer an actress’s intention from her prior repeated approaches to an object, (b) recognize her emotion by watching her facial-emotional display, and (c) deduce her false belief by noticing her lack of visual access to a change in the experimental setup. Contingencies between passing the three tasks were analyzed. Results showed that the infants made sense of intention first, followed by emotion, and then false belief. This progressive sequence parallels what has been found with preschoolers using verbal theory-of-mind tasks.

Axiomatisation and Simulation

The paper discusses the relation between the “non-statement view” of the structuralist program in philosophy of science and agent-based simulation and the use of this relation for a deeper understanding of the verification and the validation of simulation models. To this end it uses the history of the gender desegregation process in German schools in the second half of the 20th century and two simulation models trying to explain and understand this historical process. The relation between the two simulation models on one hand and the structuralist reconstruction of the mental and verbal theory of the observed phenomenon is depicted step by step, showing the verification of the more recent simulation model along the lines of the formal definition of this theory. Finally, the simulation model is used to make two unobservable parameters measurable with the help of the formalised theory, which allows new insights into the historical process.

SEXTING PRACTICADO POR ADOLESCENTES: SU MORFOLOGÍA EN FACEBOOK

SEXTING PRACTICED BY ADOLESCENTS: ITS MORPHOLOGY ON FACEBOOKThe present paper presents the results of an exploratory and descriptive analysis, through an observational method of several episodes of sexting based on the verbal theory of Skinner. In order to carry it out, an ad hoc categorization system was developed for the commands presented in the verbal behavior of sexting on Facebook, being able to observe, codify and analyze the phenomenon, which has taken shape in the last five years, the adolescents. Based on Skinner's theory the different options of controls that the participants use via inbox and the similarity among some of them were considered. By means of 9 conversations reviewed by two observers a substantial and reliable level was obtained in the tool, according to Cohen's Kappa index (k = .86). The objective of the study was to describe, from these categories, the verbal behavior in episodes of sexting, considering the commands emitted, the frequency of emission, their probabilities of transition and the patterns deployed by the participants.Keywords: sexting, verbal behavior, observation, patterns, conversation.Resumen.En el presente trabajo se presentan los resultados de un análisis exploratorio y descriptivo, a través de un método observacional de diversos episodios de sexting tomando como base la teoría verbal de Skinner. Para llevarlo a cabo se desarrolló un sistema de categorización ad hoc a los mandos presentados en la conducta verbal del sexting en Facebook, pudiendo con ello observar, codificar y analizar el fenómeno, mismo que ha tomado auge en los últimos cinco años, sobre todo en los adolescentes. Tomando como base la teoría de Skinner se consideraron las diferentes opciones de mandos que los participantes usan por vía inbox y la similitud entre algunos de ellos. Por medio de 9 conversaciones revisadas por dos observadores se obtuvo un nivel sustancial y de fiabilidad en la herramienta, esto de acuerdo al índice Kappa de Cohen (k=.86). El objetivo del trabajo fue describir, a partir de dichas categorías, la conducta verbal en episodios de sexting, considerando los mandos emitidos, la frecuencia de emisión, sus probabilidades de transición y los patrones desplegados por los participantes.Palabras Clave: sexting, conducta verbal, observación, patrones, conversación.

Affective and Cognitive Verbal Theory of Mind in Schizophrenia: Results From a Novel Paradigm

Objectives: Impairments of Theory of Mind (ToM) have been repeatedly demonstrated in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). However, only a handful of studies have explored deficits in affective and cognitive subcomponents of ToM. Thus, this study aims to examine affective and cognitive ToM abilities in SCZ by using a novel, verbal paradigm. Methods: Twenty-four SCZ and 22 healthy comparison subjects (HC) completed a battery of tasks, which consisted of: (i) Brief Cognitive Assessment Tool for Schizophrenia (B-CATS), (ii) three well-established tasks measuring social cognitive abilities, and (iii) original tasks which assess ability to infer cognitive and affective mental states based on everyday verbal social interactions. Results: In line with previous findings, SCZ were outperformed by HC in all tasks. However, the interaction effect of the group and the task showed that cognitive (as opposed to affective) ToM was more profoundly impaired in patients with SCZ. Conclusions: It is proposed that in SCZ group cognitive ToM is more impaired as it involves more effortful reflective processes, while affective ToM, which is more automatic and based on reflexive processes, may differentiate patients from healthy comparison subjects to a lesser extent. (JINS, 2018, 24, 305–309)

High-functioning autism patients share similar but more severe impairments in verbal theory of mind than schizophrenia patients

BackgroundEvidence suggests that autism and schizophrenia share similarities in genetic, neuropsychological and behavioural aspects. Although both disorders are associated with theory of mind (ToM) impairments, a few studies have directly compared ToM between autism patients and schizophrenia patients. This study aimed to investigate to what extent high-functioning autism patients and schizophrenia patients share and differ in ToM performance.MethodsThirty high-functioning autism patients, 30 schizophrenia patients and 30 healthy individuals were recruited. Participants were matched in age, gender and estimated intelligence quotient. The verbal-based Faux Pas Task and the visual-based Yoni Task were utilised to examine first- and higher-order, affective and cognitive ToM. The task/item difficulty of two paradigms was examined using mixed model analyses of variance (ANOVAs). Multiple ANOVAs and mixed model ANOVAs were used to examine group differences in ToM.ResultsThe Faux Pas Task was more difficult than the Yoni Task. High-functioning autism patients showed more severely impaired verbal-based ToM in the Faux Pas Task, but shared similar visual-based ToM impairments in the Yoni Task with schizophrenia patients.ConclusionsThe findings that individuals with high-functioning autism shared similar but more severe impairments in verbal ToM than individuals with schizophrenia support the autism–schizophrenia continuum. The finding that verbal-based but not visual-based ToM was more impaired in high-functioning autism patients than schizophrenia patients could be attributable to the varied task/item difficulty between the two paradigms.

Economic Development, Mobility, and Political Discontent: An Experimental Test of Tocqueville’s Thesis in Pakistan

We consider the thesis of Alexis de Tocqueville (1856) that economic development and increased mobility may generate political discontent not present in more stagnant economies. For many citizens, as they become aware of the potential for improved living standards, their aspirations may increase faster than actual living standards. Expanded opportunity may then paradoxically result in dissatisfaction with government rather than greater confidence. We develop a formal model to capture Tocqueville’s (1856) verbal theory and test its predictions using a 2012–2013 face-to-face survey experiment conducted in Pakistan. The experiment utilizes established treatments to subtly manipulate either a participant’s perceptions of her own economic well-being, her perceptions of society-wide mobility, or both. As predicted by the theory, political discontent rises when declining personal well-being coincides with high mobility to create unrealized aspirations. The results thus identify the conditions under which expanded economic opportunity can lead to political unrest.