Journal

Volume 23, Issue 4 (December 31, 2022)

6 articles

• Frequency in Sound Change: Data from Mandarin
  by Sha Liu
  J. CS. 2022, 23(4), 403-438;
  Abstract The relationship between frequency and sound change has been a source for debate in the literature. This study focuses on two kinds of opposing sound changes, strengthening and weakening sound changes, so as to better understand the role of frequency in sound change. Strengthening and weakening soun... [Read more].
  Abstract The relationship between frequency and sound change has been a source for debate in the literature. This study focuses on two kinds of opposing sound changes, strengthening and weakening sound changes, so as to better understand the role of frequency in sound change. Strengthening and weakening sound changes are respectively exemplified by diphthongization and palatalization in Mandarin here. The statistical analysis results for this study show that frequency is positively associated with both sound change processes, while the frequency change factor is positively related with diphthongization and negatively associated with palatalization. The claim in previous studies that it is either high frequency or low frequency words that lead sound change has been rejected by this study. The frequency change factor, which almost no work has investigated, shows different mechanisms in different kinds of sound change. [Collapse]
• Can Computers Understand Words Like Humans Do? Comparable Semantic Representation in Neural and Computer Systems
  by Linmin Zhang, Lingting Wang, Jinbiao Yang, Peng Qian, Xuefei Wang, Xipeng Qiu, Zheng Zhang and Xing Tian
  J. CS. 2022, 23(4), 439-466;
  Abstract Semantic representation has been studied independently in neuroscience and computer science. A deep understanding of human neural computations and the revolution to strong artificial intelligence appeal for a joint force in the language domain. To investigate comparable representational formats of l... [Read more].
  Abstract Semantic representation has been studied independently in neuroscience and computer science. A deep understanding of human neural computations and the revolution to strong artificial intelligence appeal for a joint force in the language domain. To investigate comparable representational formats of lexical semantics between these two complex systems, we used fine temporal resolution neural recordings to create a novel open dataset and innovated analysis methods. Specifically, we evaluated three natural language processing (NLP) models with electroencephalography (EEG) recordings under a semantic priming paradigm. With our novel single-trial analysis method, we found semantic representations generated from computational models significantly correlated with EEG responses at an early stage of a typical semantic processing time window in a two-word semantic priming paradigm. Moreover, three representative computational models differentially predicted EEG responses along the dynamics of word processing. Our study thus developed an objective biomarker for assessing human-like computation in computational models. Our novel framework trailblazed a promising way to bridge across disciplines in the investigation of higher-order cognitive functions in human and artificial intelligence. [Collapse]
• “Imperfective Paradox” in Formal Model vs. Cognitive Force-theoretic Model
  by Chungmin Lee
  J. CS. 2022, 23(4), 467-492;
  Abstract This paper introduces a new proposal by Copley and Harley (2014, 2015) to overcome the ‘Imperfective Paradox’ by relying on the notion of dynamic ‘forces’ by Talmy (2000). They treat dynamic predicates as predicates of forces, represented by functions from an initial situation to a final situation t... [Read more].
  Abstract This paper introduces a new proposal by Copley and Harley (2014, 2015) to overcome the ‘Imperfective Paradox’ by relying on the notion of dynamic ‘forces’ by Talmy (2000). They treat dynamic predicates as predicates of forces, represented by functions from an initial situation to a final situation that occurs ceteris paribus, that is, if other conditions are equal or if nothing external intervenes. Thus, they eliminate causative entailments, avoiding the Paradox, and explain the frustratives as well. However, we view the Progressive aspect as incremental progress based on the planned/scheduled culminating accomplishment. Another important phenomenon is that there occurs an ambiguity between progressive and resultative, as in Korean and Japanese wearing verbs. A caused existence of the accomplishment Theme is not entailed by the perfective but its plan still affects our grammar of language and cognition. Imperfective and perfective, appearing as the same in some languages, require a new syntax-semantics interface analysis, and conative and frame idea, to solve the paradox. [Collapse]
• ABO Blood Group, Socioeconomic Status, and Cognitive Function: Evidence from College Students for Better Visual Recognition Associated with the Type O Phenotype
  by Graham Pluck
  J. CS. 2022, 23(4), 493-524;
  Abstract The ABO blood group system is associated with neurological health and cognitive impairment, and also with structural differences in the healthy human brain. The current research aimed to examine how blood group may be associated with cognitive functioning in non-clinical participants. Participants w... [Read more].
  Abstract The ABO blood group system is associated with neurological health and cognitive impairment, and also with structural differences in the healthy human brain. The current research aimed to examine how blood group may be associated with cognitive functioning in non-clinical participants. Participants were 132 students at two universities in Ecuador. All were assessed for blood group and a range of cognitive abilities with known neurological substrates: shape recognition (‘ventral visual route’), spatial vision (‘dorsal visual route’), language-syntactical processes (left perisylvian), focused attention (right perisylvian), executive function (dorsal prefrontal), advantageous decision making (ventral prefrontal) and declarative (medial temporal) and procedural (basal ganglia) learning. Socioeconomic status (SES) was assessed as a potential confounding variable. Preliminary analyses revealed that ABO blood type frequencies showed a cline, varying by site of data collection, and Type O blood was more common in participants from lower SES backgrounds. Additionally, higher SES was associated with better cognitive performance. Significant positive correlations were found indicating associations between higher SES and better performance on tasks of language, and executive function, and for declarative and procedural memory processes. With SES and data-collection site covaried, precategorical visual shape recognition task performance was observed to be the only factor significantly associated with blood group, being better in participants with the Type O phenotype. This result was present in two different samples and was significant with or without the use of covariates. I conclude that, in this sample from Ecuador, human blood group classification was linked to variability in adult human neurocognitive function, specifically, shape recognition task performance associated with occipito-temporal processing. This may have implications for understanding variation in neurological and cognitive health, as well as cognitive abilities as individual differences, and potentially provides a biomarker for efficiency of human object-recognition skill. [Collapse]
• The Negation Gap in ESL
  by Miseon Lee, William O’Grady, Gayoung Lee
  J. CS. 2022, 23(4), 525-544;
  Abstract The present study examines how Korean-speaking learners of English as a second language understand English ‘bi-negative’ sentences, which contain both not and a negative pronoun (e.g., No one didn’t cry, I didn’t do nothing). A semantic similarity judgment task demonstrates that native speakers of E... [Read more].
  Abstract The present study examines how Korean-speaking learners of English as a second language understand English ‘bi-negative’ sentences, which contain both not and a negative pronoun (e.g., No one didn’t cry, I didn’t do nothing). A semantic similarity judgment task demonstrates that native speakers of English clearly accept patterns of this type and assign them an affirmative interpretation. However, the same task reveals that our 31 Korean participants are largely unaware of this usage and reject the affirmative meaning of the bi-negative sentences. A translation experiment involving a different group of 32 Korean-speaking learners reveals a strong tendency to interpret the bi-negative patterns as if they were the sort of negative concord pattern typical of Korean. These results suggest the presence of first-language transfer, even among advanced speakers. [Collapse]
• Morphological Transfer in the Development of L2 English Dative Constructions
  by Sang-Gu Kang, Jeonghwa Shin
  J. CS. 2022, 23(4), 545-586;
  Abstract Within a processing-based framework of L2 acquisition, we revise the morphological transfer hypothesis to explain how Korean learners of English process English dative constructions. Our revised morphological transfer hypothesis holds that a combination of L1 Korean morphemes that are not required f... [Read more].
  Abstract Within a processing-based framework of L2 acquisition, we revise the morphological transfer hypothesis to explain how Korean learners of English process English dative constructions. Our revised morphological transfer hypothesis holds that a combination of L1 Korean morphemes that are not required for the well-formedness of L2 English sentences will be negatively transferred and cause processing difficulty in the grammatical judgment of L2 sentences. The accusative marker, the dative marker, and the additional verbal morpheme cwu- (only in benefactive double object constructions) are required to build well-formed dative constructions in Korean. However, such morphological cues are absent in English dative counterparts, which potentially impedes the processing of English dative sentences by Korean learners of English. We predicted that Korean L2 English learners’ difficulty would depend on the number of such impeding factors and the learners’ English proficiency level - lower-proficiency learners would have more difficulties than higher-proficiency learners with English datives containing multiple impeding factors, while learners would be better at processing datives with one impeding factor than the ones with multiple impeding factors. Results from a grammatical judgment task (GJT) supported the revised hypothesis, suggesting that the presence of overt morphological cues in L1 dative sentences disturbs the grammatical acceptability of L2 counterparts without such cues. [Collapse]