An Agent-Based Model for the Role of Short-Term Memory Enhancement in the Emergence of Grammatical Agreement
Authored by Javier Vera
Date Published: 2018
DOI: 10.1162/artl_a_00261
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Abstract
What is the influence of short-term memory enhancement on the emergence
of grammatical agreement systems in multi-agent language games?
Agreement systems suppose that at least two words share some features
with each other, such as gender, number, or case. Previous work, within
the multi-agent language-game framework, has recently proposed models
stressing the hypothesis that the emergence of a grammatical agreement
system arises from the minimization of semantic ambiguity. On the other
hand, neurobiological evidence argues for the hypothesis that language
evolution has mainly related to an increasing of short-term memory
capacity, which has allowed the online manipulation of words and
meanings participating particularly in grammatical agreement systems.
Here, the main aim is to propose a multi-agent language game for the
emergence of a grammatical agreement system, under measurable long-range
relations depending on the short-term memory capacity. Computer
simulations, based on a parameter that measures the amount of short-term
memory capacity, suggest that agreement marker systems arise in a
population of agents equipped at least with a critical short-term memory
capacity.
Tags
language evolution
language games
language
Short-term memory
Grammatical agreement systems