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Martins, Pedro Tiago - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Language evolution and complexity considerations: The no half-Merge fallacy
'Public Library of Science (PLoS)', 2020Co-Authors: Martins, Pedro Tiago, Boeckx CedricAbstract:Recently, prominent theoretical linguists have argued for an explicit scenario for the evolution of the human Language Capacity on the basis of its computational properties. Concretely, the simplicity of a minimalist formulation of the operation Merge, which allows humans to recursively compute hierarchical relations in Language, has been used to promote a sudden-emergence, single-mutation scenario. In support of this view, Merge is said to be either fully present or fully absent: one cannot have half-Merge. On this basis, it is inferred that the emergence of our fully fledged Language Capacity had to be sudden. Thus, proponents of this view draw a parallelism between the formal complexity of the operation at the computational level and the number of evolutionary steps it must imply. Here, we examine this argument in detail and show that the jump from the atomicity of Merge to a single-mutation scenario is not valid and therefore cannot be used as justification for a theory of Language evolution alon
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Sound production learning across species: Beyond the vocal learning dichotomy
'Edicions de la Universitat de Barcelona', 2020Co-Authors: Martins, Pedro TiagoAbstract:All humans have Language. This Capacity is a complex biological trait whose evolu- tion is currently an active research topic, especially in recent years. This thesis is an attempt at contributing to this enterprise in two ways, from different angles. The first one is a critical assessment of a prominent theory of Language evolution, whereby the “core properties of Language” can be reduced to a single computational operation, for- mally irreducible, which evolved suddenly as a result of a single genetic mutation. The second one is an exploration of vocal learning, a trait present in many species which in the case of humans is part of the Language Capacity as the functional provider of speech. Chapter 2 identifies a fallacious line of argument associated with the aforemen- tioned theory of Language evolution, i.e. that from the formal simplicity of an opera- tion — in the case of this particular hypothesis, the Merge operation — one can derive the evolutionary steps it took for it to emerge. This argument is named here the “no nalf-Merge” fallacy. After a summary of independent reasons to doubt this hypothesis for how Language evolved, it is shown why the argument is biologically untenable in the first place. This chapter lends support to the idea that Language evolved gradually. The greater part of this thesis (chapters 3 and 4) focuses on vocal learning. Vo- cal learning, the Capacity to modify auditory output on the basis of experience, is displayed by several species, across different families. In humans, it is crucial for speech. This thesis looks at vocal learning in two ways, by first offering an extension to the Vocal Learning Continuum, an influential framework, and secondly by using genomic information in the human lineage to suggest that vocal learning could have been present in at least some of our ancestors, narrowing the gap between them and modern humans regarding Language components. The Vocal Learning Continuum helped move past the dichotomic view according to which species are either vocal learners or non vocal learners, proposing instead a typology with a more nuanced, gradual distribution of this phenotype. However, several issues remain, namely the reliance on a particular brain connection for estab- lishing a vocal learning circuit (forebrain control of phonatory muscles), as well as the primacy given to imitation, which is but one example of vocal learning and not iii iv the whole behavioral spectrum of this phenotype. In chapter 3. after identifying and assessing these limitations, by pointing out conceptual and empirical problems, an extension to the framework is offered, called the Vocal Learning Contiguum, which eschews reliance on particular brain circuits and behaviors, favoring a broader per- spective and welcoming more factors as sources of variation across species. Chapter 4 explores a link between the SRGAP2 gene and the emergence of vocal learning in the Homo lineage. SRGAP2C, a duplication of this gene found in Nean- derthals and Denisovans and also in Modern Humans (but no other extant mammals), inhibits SRGAP2A, the ancestral version of the gene, which modulates axon guidance associated with the SLIT-ROBO molecular pathway. A connection is drawn between the downregulatory effect on axon guidance and the formation of a cortico-laryngeal connection associated with the human vocal learning circuit. The thesis is complemented by a series of appendices that delve in more detail into some conceptual issues surrounding the field of Language evolution, namely those coming from linguistics.Tots els humans tenen llenguatge. Aquesta capacitat és un tret biològic complex, l’evolució del qual és actualment un tema de recerca molt actiu, especialment en els darrers anys. Aquesta tesi és un intent de contribuir en aquesta línia de recerca de dues maneres. La primera és una apreciació crítica d’una teoria prominent d’evolució del llenguatge, segons la qual les “propietats nuclears del llenguatge” es poden reduïr a una sola operació computacional, formalment irreductible, la qual va evolucionar de sobte com a resultat d’una sola mutació genètica. La segona és una exploració del aprenentatge vocal, un tret que forma part de la capacitat del llenguatge com a proveïdor funcional de la parla. El capítol 2 identifica una línia argumental fal·losa associada amb la teoria susdita d’evolució del llenguatge, i.e. que des de la simplicitat formal d’una operació — en el cas d’aquesta hipòtesi, la operació Fusió — es poden derivar els passos evolutius necesaris per al seu sorgiment. Aquest argument s’anomena en aquest capítol “no nalf-Merge fallacy”. Després d’exposar raons independents per dubtar d’aquesta hipòtesi de la evolució del llenguatge, es mostra per què l’argument és biològicament insostenible. Aquest capítol dona suport a la idea de que el llenguatge va evolucionar gradualment. La part preponderant d’aquesta tesi (capítols 3 i 4) es centra en l'aprenentatge vocal: la capacitat de modificar l’output auditiu en base a l’experiència. L’aprenentatge vocal està present en diverses espècies, de diferents famílies taxonòmiques. En humans, és crucial per a la capacitat de la parla. Aquesta tesi analitza aquest tema de dues maneres. En primer lloc s’ofereix una extensió d’un marc influent, el Contínuum de l’Aprenentatge Vocal. En segon lloc s’utilitza informació genòmica del llinatge humà per suggerir que l’aprenentatge vocal podria haver estat present en com a mínim alguns dels nostres ancestres, reduint el buit entre aquests i els humans moderns pel que fa a components del llenguatge. El Contínuum de l’Aprenentatge Vocal va ajudar a superar la visió dicotòmica segons la qual les espècies són “aprenedors vocals” o no ho són, proposant en el seu lloc una tipologia amb una distribució més matisada i gradual d’aquest fenotip. Tanmateix, queden certs aspectes per resoldre. Un d’ells és la dependència en una connexioó cerebral particular per establir un circuit de aprenentatge vocal (control prosencèfalic dels músculs fonatoris). Un altre és la primacia donada a l’imitació, la qual, tot i ser un exemple de aprenentatge vocal, no representa la totalitat de l’espectre comporamenmtal d’aquest fenotip. En el capítol 3, després d’identificar i valorar aquestes limitacions, assenyalant problemes conceptuals i empírics, s’ofereix una extensió a aquest marc. Aquesta extensió rep aquí el nom de Contíguum de l’Aprenentatge Vocal. Aquest abordatge evita la centralitat d’un circuit cerebral o comportament particulars, afavorint una perspectiva més ampla i donant la benvinguda a més factors com a fonts de variació entre espècies. El capítol 4 explora un nexe entre el gen SRGAP2 i el sorgiment de l’aprenentatge vocal en el llinatge Homo. SRGAP2C, una duplicació d’aquest gen, present tant en neandertals i denissovans com en humans moderns (però no en altres mamífers existents), inhibeix la versió ancestral del gen (SRGAP2A), la qual modula el guiatge axonal associat amb la ruta molecular SLIT-ROBO. Com a resultat d’aquesta exploració , es proposa una associació entre l’efecte de regulació negativa en el guiatge axonal i la formació d’una connexió cortico-laríngia vinculada al circuit humà d’aprenentatge vocal. La tesi es complementa amb una sèrie d’apèndixs que s’enfoquen amb més detall en algunes qüestions conceptuals que envolten el camp de l’evolució del llenguatge, principalment aquelles que provenen del àmbit de la lingüística
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Sound production learning across species: Beyond the vocal learning dichotomy
'Edicions de la Universitat de Barcelona', 2020Co-Authors: Martins, Pedro TiagoAbstract:[eng] All humans have Language. This Capacity is a complex biological trait whose evolu- tion is currently an active research topic, especially in recent years. This thesis is an attempt at contributing to this enterprise in two ways, from different angles. The first one is a critical assessment of a prominent theory of Language evolution, whereby the “core properties of Language” can be reduced to a single computational operation, for- mally irreducible, which evolved suddenly as a result of a single genetic mutation. The second one is an exploration of vocal learning, a trait present in many species which in the case of humans is part of the Language Capacity as the functional provider of speech. Chapter 2 identifies a fallacious line of argument associated with the aforemen- tioned theory of Language evolution, i.e. that from the formal simplicity of an opera- tion — in the case of this particular hypothesis, the Merge operation — one can derive the evolutionary steps it took for it to emerge. This argument is named here the “no nalf-Merge” fallacy. After a summary of independent reasons to doubt this hypothesis for how Language evolved, it is shown why the argument is biologically untenable in the first place. This chapter lends support to the idea that Language evolved gradually. The greater part of this thesis (chapters 3 and 4) focuses on vocal learning. Vo- cal learning, the Capacity to modify auditory output on the basis of experience, is displayed by several species, across different families. In humans, it is crucial for speech. This thesis looks at vocal learning in two ways, by first offering an extension to the Vocal Learning Continuum, an influential framework, and secondly by using genomic information in the human lineage to suggest that vocal learning could have been present in at least some of our ancestors, narrowing the gap between them and modern humans regarding Language components. The Vocal Learning Continuum helped move past the dichotomic view according to which species are either vocal learners or non vocal learners, proposing instead a typology with a more nuanced, gradual distribution of this phenotype. However, several issues remain, namely the reliance on a particular brain connection for estab- lishing a vocal learning circuit (forebrain control of phonatory muscles), as well as the primacy given to imitation, which is but one example of vocal learning and not iii iv the whole behavioral spectrum of this phenotype. In chapter 3. after identifying and assessing these limitations, by pointing out conceptual and empirical problems, an extension to the framework is offered, called the Vocal Learning Contiguum, which eschews reliance on particular brain circuits and behaviors, favoring a broader per- spective and welcoming more factors as sources of variation across species. Chapter 4 explores a link between the SRGAP2 gene and the emergence of vocal learning in the Homo lineage. SRGAP2C, a duplication of this gene found in Nean- derthals and Denisovans and also in Modern Humans (but no other extant mammals), inhibits SRGAP2A, the ancestral version of the gene, which modulates axon guidance associated with the SLIT-ROBO molecular pathway. A connection is drawn between the downregulatory effect on axon guidance and the formation of a cortico-laryngeal connection associated with the human vocal learning circuit. The thesis is complemented by a series of appendices that delve in more detail into some conceptual issues surrounding the field of Language evolution, namely those coming from linguistics.[cat] Tots els humans tenen llenguatge. Aquesta capacitat és un tret biològic complex, l’evolució del qual és actualment un tema de recerca molt actiu, especialment en els darrers anys. Aquesta tesi és un intent de contribuir en aquesta línia de recerca de dues maneres. La primera és una apreciació crítica d’una teoria prominent d’evolució del llenguatge, segons la qual les “propietats nuclears del llenguatge” es poden reduïr a una sola operació computacional, formalment irreductible, la qual va evolucionar de sobte com a resultat d’una sola mutació genètica. La segona és una exploració del aprenentatge vocal, un tret que forma part de la capacitat del llenguatge com a proveïdor funcional de la parla. El capítol 2 identifica una línia argumental fal·losa associada amb la teoria susdita d’evolució del llenguatge, i.e. que des de la simplicitat formal d’una operació — en el cas d’aquesta hipòtesi, la operació Fusió — es poden derivar els passos evolutius necesaris per al seu sorgiment. Aquest argument s’anomena en aquest capítol “no nalf-Merge fallacy”. Després d’exposar raons independents per dubtar d’aquesta hipòtesi de la evolució del llenguatge, es mostra per què l’argument és biològicament insostenible. Aquest capítol dona suport a la idea de que el llenguatge va evolucionar gradualment. La part preponderant d’aquesta tesi (capítols 3 i 4) es centra en l'aprenentatge vocal: la capacitat de modificar l’output auditiu en base a l’experiència. L’aprenentatge vocal està present en diverses espècies, de diferents famílies taxonòmiques. En humans, és crucial per a la capacitat de la parla. Aquesta tesi analitza aquest tema de dues maneres. En primer lloc s’ofereix una extensió d’un marc influent, el Contínuum de l’Aprenentatge Vocal. En segon lloc s’utilitza informació genòmica del llinatge humà per suggerir que l’aprenentatge vocal podria haver estat present en com a mínim alguns dels nostres ancestres, reduint el buit entre aquests i els humans moderns pel que fa a components del llenguatge. El Contínuum de l’Aprenentatge Vocal va ajudar a superar la visió dicotòmica segons la qual les espècies són “aprenedors vocals” o no ho són, proposant en el seu lloc una tipologia amb una distribució més matisada i gradual d’aquest fenotip. Tanmateix, queden certs aspectes per resoldre. Un d’ells és la dependència en una connexioó cerebral particular per establir un circuit de aprenentatge vocal (control prosencèfalic dels músculs fonatoris). Un altre és la primacia donada a l’imitació, la qual, tot i ser un exemple de aprenentatge vocal, no representa la totalitat de l’espectre comporamenmtal d’aquest fenotip. En el capítol 3, després d’identificar i valorar aquestes limitacions, assenyalant problemes conceptuals i empírics, s’ofereix una extensió a aquest marc. Aquesta extensió rep aquí el nom de Contíguum de l’Aprenentatge Vocal. Aquest abordatge evita la centralitat d’un circuit cerebral o comportament particulars, afavorint una perspectiva més ampla i donant la benvinguda a més factors com a fonts de variació entre espècies. El capítol 4 explora un nexe entre el gen SRGAP2 i el sorgiment de l’aprenentatge vocal en el llinatge Homo. SRGAP2C, una duplicació d’aquest gen, present tant en neandertals i denissovans com en humans moderns (però no en altres mamífers existents), inhibeix la versió ancestral del gen (SRGAP2A), la qual modula el guiatge axonal associat amb la ruta molecular SLIT-ROBO. Com a resultat d’aquesta exploració , es proposa una associació entre l’efecte de regulació negativa en el guiatge axonal i la formació d’una connexió cortico-laríngia vinculada al circuit humà d’aprenentatge vocal. La tesi es complementa amb una sèrie d’apèndixs que s’enfoquen amb més detall en algunes qüestions conceptuals que envolten el camp de l’evolució del llenguatge, principalment aquelles que provenen del àmbit de la lingüística
Lynn E Delisi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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speech disorder in schizophrenia review of the literature and exploration of its relation to the uniquely human Capacity for Language
Schizophrenia Bulletin, 2001Co-Authors: Lynn E DelisiAbstract:The Language Capacity of modern humans is thought by some to be clearly distinct from that of nonhuman primates (Bickerton 1990). Crow (1997, 1998a) has proposed that a disturbance in the uniquely human aspects of Language is central to the genetic etiology of schizophrenia. A review of the literature on Language disorder in schizophrenia provides evidence for widespread deficits in comprehension, production, attention, and cerebral lateralization of Language. We focused here on those anomalies that are uniquely human aspects of Language. Bickerton's five distinctly human Language devices were examined in patients with schizophrenia and their families by using a structured scoring format on oral soliloquies. The chronic patients showed reduced use of clausal embedding and used fewer words than first episode patients or well family members. The amount of sentence complexity was found to be familial and to cosegregate with schizophrenia within families. These data are consistent with previous literature and additionally show a familial component to these measures, thus suggesting that deficits in specifically human aspects of Language may be related to the genetics of schizophrenia.
Nina F Dronkers - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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impaired reasoning and problem solving in individuals with Language impairment due to aphasia or Language delay
Frontiers in Psychology, 2015Co-Authors: Juliana V Baldo, S Paulraj, Brian Curran, Nina F DronkersAbstract:The precise nature of the relationship between Language and thought is an intriguing and challenging area of inquiry for scientists across many disciplines. In the realm of neuropsychology, research has investigated the inter-dependence of Language and thought by testing individuals with compromised Language abilities and observing whether performance in other cognitive domains is diminished. One group of such individuals is patients with aphasia who have an impairment in speech and Language arising from a brain injury, such as a stroke. Our previous research has shown that the degree of Language impairment in these individuals is strongly associated with the degree of impairment on complex reasoning tasks, such as the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST) and Raven’s Matrices. In the current study, we present new data from a large group of individuals with aphasia that show a dissociation in performance between putatively non-verbal tasks on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) that require differing degrees of reasoning (Picture Completion vs. Picture Arrangement tasks). We also present an update and replication of our previous findings with the WCST showing that individuals with the most profound core Language deficits (i.e., impaired comprehension and disordered Language output) are particularly impaired on problem-solving tasks. In the second part of the paper, we present findings from a neurologically-intact individual known as “Chelsea” who was not exposed to Language due to an unaddressed hearing loss that was present since birth. At the age of 32, she was fitted with hearing aids and exposed to spoken and signed Language for the first time, but she was only able to acquire a limited Language Capacity. Chelsea was tested on a series of standardized neuropsychological measures, including reasoning and problem-solving tasks. She was able to perform well on a number of visuospatial tasks but was disproportionately impaired on tasks that required reasoning, such as Raven’s Matrices and the WAIS Picture Arrangement task. Together, these findings suggest that Language supports complex reasoning, possibly due to the facilitative role of verbal working memory and inner speech in higher mental processes.
Eliza Kienitz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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changes in brain activation associated with spontaneous improvization and figural creativity after design thinking based training a longitudinal fmri study
Cerebral Cortex, 2016Co-Authors: Manish Saggar, Nicholas T. Bott, Eve-marie Quintin, Eliza Kienitz, Daniel Wei-chen Hong, Yin-hsuan Chien, Ning Liu, Adam RoyaltyAbstract:Creativity is widely recognized as an essential skill for entrepreneurial success and adaptation to daily-life demands. However, we know little about the neural changes associated with creative Capacity enhancement. For the first time, using a prospective, randomized control design, we examined longitudinal changes in brain activity associated with participating in a five-week design-thinking-based Creative Capacity Building Program (CCBP), when compared with Language Capacity Building Program (LCBP). Creativity, an elusive and multifaceted construct, is loosely defined as an ability to produce useful/appropriate and novel outcomes. Here, we focus on one of the facets of creative thinking-spontaneous improvization. Participants were assessed pre- and post-intervention for spontaneous improvization skills using a game-like figural Pictionary-based fMRI task. Whole-brain group-by-time interaction revealed reduced task-related activity in CCBP participants (compared with LCBP participants) after training in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior/paracingulate gyrus, supplementary motor area, and parietal regions. Further, greater cerebellar-cerebral connectivity was observed in CCBP participants at post-intervention when compared with LCBP participants. In sum, our results suggest that improvization-based creative Capacity enhancement is associated with reduced engagement of executive functioning regions and increased involvement of spontaneous implicit processing.
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Creativity training enhances goal-directed attention and information processing
Thinking Skills and Creativity, 2014Co-Authors: Nicholas T. Bott, Eve-marie Quintin, Manish Saggar, Eliza Kienitz, Adam Royalty, Daniel Wei-chen Hong, Yin-hsuan Chien, Grace Hawthorne, Ning Liu, Allan L ReissAbstract:Abstract Studies suggest that individuals with greater creative potential have enhanced executive function. Here we tested the hypothesis that a creativity training intervention would increase both low and high-level executive functions. Fifteen participants completed a 5-week creative Capacity building program (CCBP) and 15 participants completed a control intervention consisting of a parallel 5-week Language Capacity building training program (LCBP). Goal-directed attention and processing speed were measured with the Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) color–word interference test. Results revealed higher scores post-training associated with CCBP compared to LCBP on the primary D-KEFS measure of combined completion time for color-naming and word-reading conditions, and the primary contrast measure of combined completion time for color-naming and word-reading compared to completion time for inhibition switching. Relative to LCBP, CCBP leads to improvement performance on measures reflecting lower-level executive functions (goal-directed attention and information processing) as opposed to higher-level executive functions, which showed no between-group differences.
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targeted intervention to increase creative Capacity and performance a randomized controlled pilot study
Thinking Skills and Creativity, 2014Co-Authors: Nicholas T. Bott, Eve-marie Quintin, Manish Saggar, Eliza Kienitz, Adam Royalty, Daniel Wei-chen Hong, Yin-hsuan Chien, Grace HawthorneAbstract:Abstract Creativity is generally regarded as the ability to synthesize novel connections to create meaningful outcomes. Previous studies in adults have mainly focused on creativity as a static construct. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that creativity is a fluid construct within normal adults that can be enhanced with a targeted intervention. We also explored the relationship between baseline personality characteristics and level of creativity enhancement. A 5-week creativity Capacity building program (CCBP) was conducted in parallel with a 5-week Language Capacity building training program (LCBP) designed as a control intervention. Creativity was measured, before and after training using a standardized assessment of creativity: the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking-Figural (TTCT-F). Personality was measured before training using the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Results revealed greater increase for CCBP than LCBP on two primary factors of the TTCT-F: Resistance to Premature Closure and Elaboration. Analysis of NEO-Openness and Extraversion factors revealed more improvement on the TTCT-F scores after intervention for individuals with high Extraversion (E) scores, but this did not differ between groups. Altogether, our results indicate that creativity is a fluid construct, functioning independently of personality traits, which can be enhanced through targeted creativity intervention.
Hidemasa Takao - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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an fmri study of visual lexical decision in patients with schizophrenia and clinical high risk individuals
Schizophrenia Research, 2014Co-Authors: Tatsunobu Natsubori, Ryuichiro Hashimoto, Noriaki Yahata, Hideyuki Inoue, Yosuke Takano, Norichika Iwashiro, Shinsuke Koike, Wataru Gonoi, Hiroki Sasaki, Hidemasa TakaoAbstract:Disturbances in semantic and phonological aspects of Language processing are indicated in patients with schizophrenia, and in high-risk individuals for schizophrenia. To uncover neural correlates of the disturbances, a previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study using a visual lexical decision task in block design reported less leftward lateralization in the inferior frontal cortices, in patients with schizophrenia and individuals with high genetic risk for psychosis compared with normal control subjects. However, to our knowledge, no previous study has investigated contrasts between word and non-word processing that allow dissociation between semantic and phonological processing using event-related design visual lexical decision fMRI tasks in subjects with ultra-high-risk for psychosis (UHR) and patients with schizophrenia. In the current study, 20 patients with schizophrenia, 11 UHR, and 20 demographically matched controls underwent lexical decision fMRI tasks. Compared with controls, both schizophrenia and UHR groups showed significantly decreased activity in response to non-words compared with words in the inferior frontal regions. Additionally, decreased leftward lateralization in the non-word compared with word activity contrast was found in subjects with UHR compared with controls, which was not evident in patients with schizophrenia. The present findings suggest neural correlates of difficulty in phonological aspects of Language processing during non-word processing in contrast to word, which at least partially commonly underlies the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and UHR. Together with a previous study in genetic high-risk subjects, the current results also suggest that reduced functional lateralization in the Language-related frontal cortex may be a vulnerability marker for schizophrenia. Furthermore, the current result may suggest that the genetic basis of psychosis is presumed to be related to the evolution of the Language Capacity characteristic of humans.
