Showing papers on "Semantic similarity published in 1981"

Processing of formational, semantic, and iconic information in American sign language.

Abstract: Three experiments examined short-term encoding processes of deaf signers for different aspects of signs from American Sign Language. Experiment 1 compared short-term memory for lists of formationally similar signs with memory for matched lists of random signs. Just as acoustic similarity of words interferes with short-term memory or word sequences, formational similarity of signs had a marked debilitating effect on the ordered recall of sequences of signs. Experiment 2 evaluated the effects of the semantic similarity of the signs on short-term memory: Semantic similarity had no significant effect on short-term ordered recall of sequences of signs. Experiment 3 studied the role that the iconic (representational) value of signs played in short-term memory. Iconicity also had no reliable effect on short-term recall. These results provide support for the position that deaf signers code signs from American Sign Language at one level in terms of linguistically significant formational parameters. The semantic and iconic information of signs, however, seems to have little effect on short-term memory.

A Semantic Algebra for Binding Constructs

Abstract: This paper presents a semantic algebra, suitable for use in giving the denotational semantics of various forms of declarations and binding constructs in programming languages. The emphasis of the paper is on the development of semantic descriptions which are easy to understand at an intuitive level, being based on algebraic operators corresponding to fundamental concepts of programming languages. Some familiarity with denotational semantics and abstract data types is assumed.

Effectiveness of word order and grammatical marker as syntactic indicators of semantic relations

Abstract: The effectiveness of word order and grammatical markers as syntactic indicators of semantic relations was explored using an artificial linguistic system. The results showed: (1) semantic interpretation of novel sentences was possible not only for Ss given fixed word order sentences with or without the markers, but also for Ss given the markers in random word order sentences; (2) Ss given neither indicator showed chance performance; (3) word order tended to be more efficient than grammatical markers as clues to semantic relations. The results suggest that the critical condition for language acquisition is the constant covariation of linguistic structure with semantic contexts. A process approach is discussed in accounting for the findings.

Context Effects in the Categorization Task

Abstract: Summary Ss performed a categorization task in which size of target category and semantic relatedness of negative items to the target category were varied. One group of 16 Ss saw high typicality positive items—e.g., bird sparrow (high typicality group); the second group of 16 Ss saw low typicality positive items—e.g., bird peacock (low typicality group). Both groups saw the same negative items. Responses were slower in the low typicality group than in the high typicality group for both positive and negative items. For both groups responses were faster to large than to small target categories for related negative items. These findings support models that attribute categorization effects to decision processes rather than to structural properties of semantic memory.

Semantic Judgments as Encoding Operations in Recall: The Encoding of Task-Relevant and Task-Irrelevant Semantic Attributes of Words

Abstract: Summary Two experiments are reported concerning the effects of semantic encoding operations on the subsequent usefulness of interitem semantic relations in recall. These experiments employ the Mathews paradigm in which Ss first make judgments about the semantic relatedness of words presented in triplets and subsequently have their memory for the words tested. These experiments examine the effects of variations in interitem associative strength (Experiment 1), and task instructions and triplet order (Experiment 2). The results are discussed in terms of the general effects of the semantic judgment task on the encoding of task-relevant and task-irrelevant semantic attributes of words.

Towards a semantic interpretation of underlying structures

Abstract: The paper concentrates on questions of topic and focus. The underlying structures of sentences are translated into formulas of a formal language based on the theory of types in such a way that (i) the scope of negation is identified with the focus and (ii) the order of prenex quantifiers in the resulting formula corresponds to the order of quantified NP's in the underlying representation of a given sentence.

A comparison of three approaches to semantic memory: Network, feature comparison, and schema theory

Abstract: During any interaction, interactants continually draw upon semantic memory. Semantic memory is the matrix of concepts to which incoming language production is compared for meaning, and it contains the rules for language use. This study compared the adequacy of the network, feature comparison, and schema theory approaches to semantic memory in predicting recall reaction times for new semantic concepts. This study's methods controlled for subjects' associative history with stimulus concepts, so that all subjects had essentially the same exposure to stimulus concepts. Past semantic memory research failed to achieve this degree of control (McCloskey, 1980). A unique world of creatures was created so that experimenters could control the relationships between the creatures and their defining and characteristic features. Subjects learned the stimulus concepts and responded to recall test sentences from which their recall reaction times were generated. Results supported schema theory predictions. Recommendations ...