Transcript Document
Studying the emergence of human communication systems in the laboratory Bruno Galantucci Haskins Laboratories )) ( ( ( ) Field simulations: a new option for studying the emergence of human communication systems FIELD STUDIES Studies of Pidgins and Creoles, Nicaraguan sign language, Home-sign-languages BUT… WE DON’T HAVE EXPERIMENTAL CONTROL… COMPUTER SIMULATIONS Language games with artificial agents BUT… HUMANS ARE MUCH MORE COMPLEX THAN ARTIFICIAL AGENTS… Combining the two options: field simulations Put two (or more) humans into a virtual environment that requires them to coordinate their individual actions and… neutralize the use of pre-established communication systems (e.g., speech, writing, body language…) The basic game The virtual environment Player A’s view The need for coordination find each other with no more than one room change each Player B’s view The communication medium Sign systems for playing Game 1 1 2 d2 1 2 3 3 1 a1 1 2 c3 c t0 4 6 5 b4 3 d 5 t0 4 b Icons: shape a Motion Icons: # of vertices Quadrants Corners Longitude Longitude & Latitude How are sign systems established? CONVERGENT UNDERSTANDING For both players Mapping M1 (e.g., quadrants to # of lines) Game environment Sign system SHARED COGNITION Player A Game environment Mapping M2 (e.g., icon vertices to # of dashes) Sign system Player A’s signing behavior Player B The build-up of SHARED COGNITION learning-by-observing learning-by-using Communication does not depend only on signs PA’s view Game map PB’s view Studying communication systems in the laboratory How field simulations can help Media (air, light) When studying a complex system, we can never know in advance what is going to relate to what Task Field simulations allow us to manipulate all that we want… Communication system User Environment User Game 1 Environment 2 Environment 3 Environment 4 Environment 5 Manipulating the environment: Once emerged… how do communication systems evolve? communication system 1 communication system 2 communication system 3 communication system 4 communication system 2 communication system 3 communication system 4 communication system 5 communication system 1 Communication does not depend only on signs II If in the central column, agents do not move sideways x? P8 Excellent performance OK performance Excessive talking FAILED! Optimized talking P9 Excellent performance Excellent performance Excellent performance Sign systems develop parsimoniously 9 P1 P3 8 8 7 12 11 10 9 16 15 14 13 7 Sign systems develop creatively 8 P2 P15 P7 10