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Using Conceptual Spaces to Model Actions and Events

Gärdenfors, Peter LU and Warglien, Massimo (2012) In Journal of Semantics 29(4). p.487-519
Abstract
Actions and events are central to a semantics of natural language. In this article, we present a cognitively based model of these notions. After giving a general presentation of the theory of conceptual spaces, we explain how the analysis of perceptual concepts can be extended to actions and events. First, we argue that action space can be analyzed in the same way as, for example, colour space or shape space. Our hypothesis is that the categorization of actions depends, to a large extent, on the perception of forces. In line with this, we describe an action as a pattern of forces. We identify an action category as a convex region of action space. We review some indirect evidence for this representation. Second, we represent an event as an... (More)
Actions and events are central to a semantics of natural language. In this article, we present a cognitively based model of these notions. After giving a general presentation of the theory of conceptual spaces, we explain how the analysis of perceptual concepts can be extended to actions and events. First, we argue that action space can be analyzed in the same way as, for example, colour space or shape space. Our hypothesis is that the categorization of actions depends, to a large extent, on the perception of forces. In line with this, we describe an action as a pattern of forces. We identify an action category as a convex region of action space. We review some indirect evidence for this representation. Second, we represent an event as an interaction between a force vector and a result vector. Typically an agent performs an action-that is, exerts a force-that changes the properties of the patient. Such a model of events is suitable for an analysis of the semantics of verbs. We compare the model to other related attempts from cognitive semantics. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Semantics
volume
29
issue
4
pages
487 - 519
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000311903900003
  • scopus:84870460406
ISSN
0167-5133
DOI
10.1093/jos/ffs007
project
Thinking in Time: Cognition, Communication and Learning
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9cdc864f-9dd0-42e0-94e6-af77c2f864f9 (old id 3401333)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:10:38
date last changed
2022-03-29 19:34:41
@article{9cdc864f-9dd0-42e0-94e6-af77c2f864f9,
  abstract     = {{Actions and events are central to a semantics of natural language. In this article, we present a cognitively based model of these notions. After giving a general presentation of the theory of conceptual spaces, we explain how the analysis of perceptual concepts can be extended to actions and events. First, we argue that action space can be analyzed in the same way as, for example, colour space or shape space. Our hypothesis is that the categorization of actions depends, to a large extent, on the perception of forces. In line with this, we describe an action as a pattern of forces. We identify an action category as a convex region of action space. We review some indirect evidence for this representation. Second, we represent an event as an interaction between a force vector and a result vector. Typically an agent performs an action-that is, exerts a force-that changes the properties of the patient. Such a model of events is suitable for an analysis of the semantics of verbs. We compare the model to other related attempts from cognitive semantics.}},
  author       = {{Gärdenfors, Peter and Warglien, Massimo}},
  issn         = {{0167-5133}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{487--519}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Semantics}},
  title        = {{Using Conceptual Spaces to Model Actions and Events}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jos/ffs007}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/jos/ffs007}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}