Gestalt compositionality and instruction-based meaning construction

Abstract

We would like to propose a new model of meaning construction based on language comprehension considered as a dynamic process during which the meaning of each linguistic unit and the global meaning of the sentence are determined simultaneously. This model, which may be called "gestalt compositionality," is radically opposed to the classic compositional mechanism advocated by linguistic formalism based on the primacy of syntax. The process considers the syntactic structure of an utterance as the product of meaning construction rather than its source. The comprehension of an utterance is consequently directly based on the interaction between the different basic components of this utterance: lexical units, grammatical markers, positional relations between units, and more generally, basic "constructions" in the sense of Construction Grammar. Thus, meaning is really the result of a gestalt compositional process insomuch as the contribution of each basic component depends on the contribution of the other components present in the utterance. We show a first attempt at modeling from French and English examples.

Reading “Sun” and Looking Up: The Influence of Language on Saccadic Eye Movements in the Vertical Dimension

“…letters, squares etc. ), visual discrimination is hindered, but simple target detection is facilitated or not affected at all by visual simulations (e.g., [7], [18]). This dissociation between the findings in discrimination and detection tasks might be due to the fact that visual discrimination and detection tasks differ in various aspects, such as the demands for visual processing resources, response selection demands and also, the time course of processing [38].…”

“…In paradigms implementing attentional cueing tasks, it has been suggested that words result in automatic shifts of attention. These inferences were drawn from both facilitation and inhibition effects (e.g., [14], [7]). These attentional shifts might also underlie the reported facilitation of saccadic eye movements towards compatible locations.…”

“…Critically, results showing inhibitory effects (e.g., [14], [16]) are only found consistently in discrimination tasks. In detection tasks, either weak facilitation effects or no effects are reported (e.g., [7], [18]). In addition to findings from attentional cueing paradigms, facilitatory effects of object words on motor responses have been reported (e.g.…”

Continuity in the Interactions Between Linguistic Units

“…So as to account for the various uses associated with syntactic patterns and categories, and the extremely large (or maybe unlimited) number of possible interactions of the unit with its co-text, Col et al (2012) suggests a model based on a gestalt compositionnal approach. We consider that the meaning of an utterance is constructed in the course of a double, dynamic process leading to a temporary, tentative semantic balance between the different interactions.…”

“…This capacity of convocation-evocation is what defines a linguistic unit; it is not its "meaning" per se but what we call its "instruction". As an example, the instruction supplied by "over" will be the following one (Col 2012 and:…”