重新思考跨物种的模糊性。

IF 7.9 1区 医学 Q1 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Marlen Fröhlich , Gerhard Jäger , Asya Achimova
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引用次数: 0

摘要

歧义——一个信号支持多种解释的能力——长期以来一直被视为人类语言的标志,与复杂的语法和语用学有关。然而,最近的证据表明,歧义在非人类的交流系统中也很普遍,特别是在灵长类动物中,信号通常通过社交和互动环境来消除歧义。我们认为模糊性并不是一种沟通缺陷,而是一种进化策略,可以提高物种间的效率和灵活性。利用跨物种数据和概率模型,我们认为模糊性提供了适应性优势:平衡信号成本、信息量和解释灵活性。我们认为,语用歧义解决可能早于语言,反映了社会推理的共同认知能力。认识到歧义是一种比较现象,重新构建了关于语言进化的争论,并强调了形成交流系统的共同适应压力。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
Rethinking ambiguity across species
Ambiguity—the capacity for a signal to support multiple interpretations—has long been regarded as a hallmark of human language, linked to sophisticated syntax and pragmatics. Yet recent evidence shows that ambiguity is also widespread in non-human communication systems, especially among primates, where signals are routinely disambiguated through social and interactional context. We maintain that ambiguity is not a communicative flaw but an evolved strategy that enhances efficiency and flexibility across species. Drawing on cross-species data and probabilistic modelling, we argue that ambiguity offers adaptive benefits: balancing signal cost, informativeness, and interpretive flexibility. We propose that pragmatic ambiguity resolution likely predates language and reflects shared cognitive capacities for social inference. Recognising ambiguity as a comparative phenomenon reframes debates on language evolution and highlights shared adaptive pressures shaping communication systems.
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来源期刊
CiteScore
14.20
自引率
3.70%
发文量
466
审稿时长
6 months
期刊介绍: The official journal of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society publishes original and significant review articles that explore the intersection between neuroscience and the study of psychological processes and behavior. The journal also welcomes articles that primarily focus on psychological processes and behavior, as long as they have relevance to one or more areas of neuroscience.
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