Massively-parallel marker-passing in semantic networks

AbstractOne approach to using the information available in a semantic network is the use of marker-passing algorithms, which propagate information through the network to determine relationships between objects. One of the primary arguments in favor of these algorithms are their ability to be implemented in parallel. Despite this, most implementations have been serial and have only sometimes gone so far as to simulate parallelism. In this paper the marker-passing approach is presented. An actual parallel implementation which shows that such programs can be written on commercially available massively parallel machines is also presented

A Conceptual Reasoning Approach to Textual Ellipsis

We present a hybrid text understanding methodology for the resolution of textual ellipsis. It integrates conceptual criteria (based on the well-formedness and conceptual strength of role chains in a terminological knowledge base) and functional constraints reflecting the utterances' information structure (based on the distinction between context-bound and unbound discourse elements). The methodological framework for text ellipsis resolution is the centering model that has been adapted to these constraints.Comment: 5 pages, uuencoded gzipped PS file (see also Technical Report at: http://www.coling.uni-freiburg.de/public/papers/ecai96.ps.gz

The Importance of Semantics: Visual World Studies on Drawing Inferences and Resolving Anaphors

The present thesis investigated the importance of semantics in generating inferences during discourse processing. Three aspects of semantics, gender stereotypes, implicit causality information and proto-role properties, were used to investigate whether semantics is activated elaboratively during discourse comprehension and what its relative importance is in backward inferencing compared to discourse/structural cues. Visual world eye-tracking studies revealed that semantics plays an important role in both backward and forward inferencing: Gender stereotypes and implicit causality information is activated elaboratively during online discourse comprehension. Moreover, gender stereotypes, implicit causality and proto-role properties of verbs are all used in backward inferencing. Importantly, the studies demonstrated that semantic cues are weighed against discourse/structural cues. When the structural cues consist of a combination of cues that have been independently shown to be important in backward inferencing, semantic effects may be masked, whereas when the structural cues consist of a combination of fewer prominent cues, semantics can have an earlier effect than structural factors in pronoun resolution. In addition, the type of inference matters, too: During anaphoric inferencing semantics has a prominent role, while discourse/structural salience attains more prominence during non-anaphoric inferencing. Finally, semantics exhibits a strong role in inviting new inferences to revise earlier made inferences even in the case the additional inference is not needed to establish coherence in discourse. The findings are generally in line with the Mental Model approaches. Two extended model versions are presented that incorporate the current findings into the earlier literature. These models allow both forward and backward inferencing to occur at any given moment during the course of processing; they also allow semantic and discourse/structural cues to contribute to both of these processes. However, while the Mental Model 1 does not assume interactions between semantic and discourse/structural factors in forward inferencing, the Mental Model 2 does assume such a link.Siirretty Doriast

An Exploration of High Level Language Comprehension Deficits and the Factors Influencing Them Following Blast Exposure in Afghanistan and Iraq War Veterans

Our servicemen and women are facing challenges with reintegration into civilian life as noted by the high levels of homelessness, unemployment, and suicide. Behavioral aspects and PTSD have been the focus of these problems. There may be additional factors that negatively impact successful reintegration. There may be weaknesses in communication skills such as auditory processing deficits and higher-level language deficits secondary to blast exposure. Twelve veterans with history of blast exposure and six veteran controls were compared in areas of auditory processing, higher-level language skills (inferencing, ambiguity, figurative language), and attention, memory, and visual processing speed. Correlations with auditory processing and higher-level language and cognitive skills were also explored. Results demonstrated significance with attention (p = 0.001), time compressed sentences (p = 0.02), and for the veterans who wear not wearing their helmets at the time of blast exposure demonstrated additional significance with inferencing (p = 0.04), and auditory figure ground (p = 0.05). Weaknesses were noted with competing words (p = 0.08) and multiple meanings (p = 0.08). Strong and moderate correlations were observed with veterans who were not wearing their upgraded helmet at the time of blast exposure. Results suggest a need to include speech pathologists as part of the diagnostic team for our returning servicemen that were exposed to blasts, especially if they were not wearing their upgraded helmet at the time of exposure, so as to rule out any deficits with higher-level language skills, or auditory processing deficits

Morphological awareness in readers of IsiXhosa

This study focuses particularly on the development of four Morphological Awareness reading tests in isiXhosa and on the relationship of Morphological Awareness to reading success among 74 Grade 3 isiXhosa-speaking foundation-phase learners from three peri-urban schools. It explores in-depth why not all previously established Morphological Awareness tests for other languages suit the morphology of isiXhosa and how these tests have been revised in order to do so. Conventionally, the focus of Morphological Awareness literature has been on derivational morphology and reading comprehension. This study did not find significant correlations with comprehension, but rather with the children's ability to decode. Fluency and Morphological Awareness have not been given as much attention in the literature, but Morphological Awareness could be important for processing the agglutinating structure of the language in reading. This study also argues that it is not a specific awareness of derivational morphology over inflectional morphology, but rather a general awareness of one's language structure that is more important at this stage in their literacy development; specifically a general awareness of prefixes and suffixes. In addition, it was found that an explicit awareness of the morphological structure of the language related more to fluency and tests that accessed an innate and implicit Morphological Awareness had the strongest correlations overall with comprehension. The findings from this report have implications regarding how future curriculum developments for morphologically rich languages like isiXhosa should be approached. The positive and practical implications of including different types of Morphological Awareness tutoring in curricula is argued for, especially when teaching younger readers how to approach morphologically complex words in texts

The effect of different interventions on the inferencing abilities of academically vulnerable first-year students

Thesis (PhD (Linguistics))--University of Pretoria, 2022.The reading crisis in South Africa is well-documented by now, and the implications of poor reading proficiencies can be observed in the limited outcomes and high attrition rates at primary, secondary and tertiary educational level. Reading comprehension is a fundamental aspect of academic literacy at tertiary level, but shortcomings in this relatively ‘invisible’ skill easily remain undiagnosed. Many South African universities provide foundational support to academically vulnerable students in the form of Extended Curriculum Programmes (ECPs) and academic literacy modules, but these tend to be writing-centred, with limited time dedicated to targeted instruction of advanced reading competencies, like inferencing, that often remain underdeveloped. Thus, more evidence-based research into reading instruction best practices for academically vulnerable students is urgently required. This study evaluated the effect of three different academic literacy interventions on the inferencing proficiencies of ECP students, in addition to the relationship between academic literacy and inferencing for this population. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-tests using the Test for Academic Literacy Levels and a self-designed instrument was augmented by data on participants’ reading habits and language profiles. Results indicate that many students who exit foundational interventions like ECPs and academic literacy modules need additional support in order to meet the reading demands of tertiary education, that inferencing and academic literacy are strongly correlated, and that targeted instruction on reading comprehension has a larger effect on improving inferencing skills than more writing-centred interventions. These results imply that more resources are needed to address the reading crisis at tertiary level by optimising existing remedial frameworks in order to provide the necessary support for vulnerable students.Unit for Academic LiteracyPhD (Linguistics)Unrestricte

Connectionist Inference Models

The performance of symbolic inference tasks has long been a challenge to connectionists. In this paper, we present an extended survey of this area. Existing connectionist inference systems are reviewed, with particular reference to how they perform variable binding and rule-based reasoning, and whether they involve distributed or localist representations. The benefits and disadvantages of different representations and systems are outlined, and conclusions drawn regarding the capabilities of connectionist inference systems when compared with symbolic inference systems or when used for cognitive modeling

Language inference from function words

Language surface structures demonstrate regularities that make it possible to learn a capacity for producing an infinite number of well-formed expressions. This paper outlines a system that uncovers and characterizes regularities through principled wholesale pattern analysis of copious amounts of machine-readable text. The system uses the notion of closed-class lexemes to divide the input into phrases, and from these phrases infers lexical and syntactic information. The set of closed-class lexemes is derived from the text, and then these lexemes are clustered into functional types. Next the open-class words are categorized according to how they tend to appear in phrases and then clustered into a smaller number of open-class types. Finally these types are used to infer, and generalize, grammar rules. Statistical criteria are employed for each of these inference operations. The result is a relatively compact grammar that is guaranteed to cover every sentence in the source text that was used to form it. Closed-class inferencing compares well with current linguistic theories of syntax and offers a wide range of potential applications