Color interpretation is guided by informativity expectations, not by world knowledge about colors

Rohde, Hannah; Rubio-Fernández, Paula

doi:10.1016/j.jml.2022.104371

Cited by 2 publications

References 41 publications

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Expectation Violations as an Effective Alternative to Complex Mentalizing in Novel Communication

Buidze,

Yao,

Gläscher

2024

Preprint

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Effective communication in the absence of a shared language is a fundamental challenge, often addressed through complex cognitive mechanisms such as Theory of Mind, which allows individuals to infer others' intentions and beliefs. However, this process is cognitively demanding and may not always be necessary. In this study, we propose that a more parsimonious cognitive mechanism-expectancy violations-can serve as an efficient alternative for communication in novel interactions. We tested this in the Tacit Communication Game, where we simulated Sender behavior using four computational models: the Surprise model based on expectancy violations and three levels of Theory of mind. After human Receivers interacted with these simulated Senders, we assessed the effectiveness of communication by analyzing accuracy and reaction times. Our results revealed that Receivers paired with the Surprise model achieved accuracy rates comparable to those interacting with the most complex Theory of mind model and exhibited more human-like message patterns. Additionally, models associated with higher accuracies also resulted in faster reaction times, indicating a reduced cognitive load. These findings challenge the necessity of complex mentalizing strategies in novel human interactions and suggest that an intuitive mechanism of expectancy violation may be a more plausible cognitive mechanism, while also providing quick responses.

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Expectation Violations as an Effective Alternative to Complex Mentalizing in Novel Communication

Buidze,

Yao,

Gläscher

2024

Preprint

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Perceptual, Semantic, and Pragmatic Factors Affect the Derivation of Contrastive Inferences

Ronderos,

Aparicio,

Long

et al. 2024

Open Mind

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People derive contrastive inferences when interpreting adjectives (e.g., inferring that ‘the short pencil’ is being contrasted with a longer one). However, classic eye-tracking studies revealed contrastive inferences with scalar and material adjectives, but not with color adjectives. This was explained as a difference in listeners’ informativity expectations, since color adjectives are often used descriptively (hence not warranting a contrastive interpretation). Here we hypothesized that, beyond these pragmatic factors, perceptual factors (i.e., the relative perceptibility of color, material and scalar contrast) and semantic factors (i.e., the difference between gradable and non-gradable properties) also affect the real-time derivation of contrastive inferences. We tested these predictions in three languages with prenominal modification (English, Hindi, and Hungarian) and found that people derive contrastive inferences for color and scalar adjectives, but not for material adjectives. In addition, the processing of scalar adjectives was more context dependent than that of color and material adjectives, confirming that pragmatic, perceptual and semantic factors affect the derivation of contrastive inferences.

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Color interpretation is guided by informativity expectations, not by world knowledge about colors

Cited by 2 publications

References 41 publications

Expectation Violations as an Effective Alternative to Complex Mentalizing in Novel Communication

Expectation Violations as an Effective Alternative to Complex Mentalizing in Novel Communication

Perceptual, Semantic, and Pragmatic Factors Affect the Derivation of Contrastive Inferences

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