A resource-rational model of human processing of recursive linguistic structure

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 119(43)

Published: Oct. 19, 2022

A major goal of psycholinguistic theory is to account for the cognitive constraints limiting speed and ease language comprehension production. Wide-ranging evidence demonstrates a key role linguistic expectations: word’s predictability, as measured by information-theoretic quantity surprisal, determinant processing difficulty. But under standard theories, fails predict difficulty profile an important class patterns: nested hierarchical structures made possible recursion in human language. These are better accounted theories constrained working memory capacity. However, progress on unifying expectation-based memory-based accounts has been limited. Here we present unified rational trade-off between precision representations with prediction, scaled-up computational implementation using contemporary machine learning methods, experimental support theory’s distinctive predictions. We show that makes nuanced predictions patterns recursive predicted neither nor alone. confirmed 1) two experiments English, 2) sentence completions Spanish, German. More generally, our framework offers computationally explicit methods understanding how prediction interact

Language: Английский

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Large-Scale Evidence for Logarithmic Effects of Word Predictability on Reading Time

Published: Nov. 25, 2022

During real-time language comprehension, our minds rapidly decode complex meanings from sequences of words. The difficulty doing so is known to be related words' contextual predictability, but what cognitive processes do these predictability effects reflect? In one view, reflect facilitation due anticipatory processing words that are predictable context. This view predicts a linear effect on demand. another the costs probabilistic inference over sentence interpretations. either logarithmic or superlogarithmic demand, depending whether it assumes pressures toward uniform distribution information time. empirical record currently mixed. Here we revisit this question at scale: analyze six reading datasets, estimate next-word probabilities with diverse statistical models, and model times using recent advances in nonlinear regression. Results support word difficulty, which favors as key component human processing.

Language: Английский

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Word Frequency and Predictability Dissociate in Naturalistic Reading

Published: July 6, 2023

Many studies of human language processing have shown that readers slow down at less frequent or predictable words, but there is debate about whether frequency and predictability effects reflect separable cognitive phenomena: are operations retrieve words from the mental lexicon based on sensory cues distinct those predict upcoming context? Previous evidence for a frequency-predictability dissociation mostly small samples (both estimating testing their behavior), artificial materials (e.g., isolated constructed sentences), implausible modeling assumptions (discrete-time dynamics, linearity, additivity, constant variance, invariance over time), which raises question: do dissociate in ordinary comprehension, such as story reading? This study leverages recent progress open data computational to address this question scale. A large collection naturalistic reading (six datasets, >2.2M datapoints) analyzed using nonlinear continuous-time regression, estimated statistical models trained more than currently typical psycholinguistics. Despite use data, strong estimates, flexible regression models, results converge with earlier experimental supporting dissociable additive effects.

Language: Английский

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