1,104,271 research outputs found
The Non-linear Dynamics of Meaning-Processing in Social Systems
Social order cannot be considered as a stable phenomenon because it contains
an order of reproduced expectations. When the expectations operate upon one
another, they generate a non-linear dynamics that processes meaning. Specific
meaning can be stabilized, for example, in social institutions, but all meaning
arises from a horizon of possible meanings. Using Luhmann's (1984) social
systems theory and Rosen's (1985) theory of anticipatory systems, I submit
equations for modeling the processing of meaning in inter-human communication.
First, a self-referential system can use a model of itself for the
anticipation. Under the condition of functional differentiation, the social
system can be expected to entertain a set of models; each model can also
contain a model of the other models. Two anticipatory mechanisms are then
possible: one transversal between the models, and a longitudinal one providing
the modeled systems with meaning from the perspective of hindsight. A system
containing two anticipatory mechanisms can become hyper-incursive. Without
making decisions, however, a hyper-incursive system would be overloaded with
uncertainty. Under this pressure, informed decisions tend to replace the
"natural preferences" of agents and an order of cultural expectations can
increasingly be shaped
Mechanisms of origin of connotative verbs meaning
Дослідження присвячене актуальній проблемі семасіології – конотації.
Проаналізовано механізми виникнення конотативних значень дієслів у мові
мас-медіа. Встановлено, що конотативне значення емоційно-оцінних дієслів
зумовлене комплексом асоціацій, які накладаються на вторинну номінацію і є
основою їхньої внутрішньої форми.Research is devoted to the actual problem of semasiology – connotation.
Mechanisms of origin of connotative verbs meaning in the mass-media language is
analyzed. It is determined that connotative meaning of emotionally evaluative
verbs is caused by the complex of associations which are imposed on the
secondary nomination and is the basis of their intrinsic forms
Affective iconic words benefit from additional sound–meaning integration in the left amygdala
Recent studies have shown that a similarity between sound and meaning of a word (i.e., iconicity) can help more readily access the meaning of that word, but the neural mechanisms underlying this beneficial role of iconicity in semantic processing remain largely unknown. In an fMRI study, we focused on the affective domain and examined whether affective iconic words (e.g., high arousal in both sound and meaning) activate additional brain regions that integrate emotional information from different domains (i.e., sound and meaning). In line with our hypothesis, affective iconic words, compared to their non‐iconic counterparts, elicited additional BOLD responses in the left amygdala known for its role in multimodal representation of emotions. Functional connectivity analyses revealed that the observed amygdalar activity was modulated by an interaction of iconic condition and activations in two hubs representative for processing sound (left superior temporal gyrus) and meaning (left inferior frontal gyrus) of words. These results provide a neural explanation for the facilitative role of iconicity in language processing and indicate that language users are sensitive to the interaction between sound and meaning aspect of words, suggesting the existence of iconicity as a general property of human language
Anticipation and the Non-linear Dynamics of Meaning-Processing in Social Systems
Social order does not exist as a stable phenomenon, but can be considered as
"an order of reproduced expectations." When anticipations operate upon one
another, they can generate a non-linear dynamics which processes meaning.
Although specific meanings can be stabilized, for example in social
institutions, all meaning arises from a global horizon of possible meanings.
Using Luhmann's (1984) social systems theory and Rosen's (1985) theory of
anticipatory systems, I submit algorithms for modeling the non-linear dynamics
of meaning in social systems. First, a self-referential system can use a model
of itself for the anticipation. Under the condition of functional
differentiation, the social system can be expected to entertain a set of
models; each model can also contain a model of the other models. Two
anticipatory mechanisms are then possible: a transversal one between the
models, and a longitudinal one providing the system with a variety of meanings.
A system containing two anticipatory mechanisms can become hyper-incursive.
Without making decisions, however, a hyper-incursive system would be overloaded
with uncertainty. Under this pressure, informed decisions tend to replace the
"natural preferences" of agents and a knowledge-based order can increasingly be
shaped
Nutrients and Hydrology Indicate the Driving Mechanisms of Peatland Surface Patterning
Peatland surface patterning motivates studies that identify underlying structuring mechanisms. Theoretical studies so far suggest that different mechanisms may drive similar types of patterning. The long time span associated with peatland surface pattern formation, however, limits possibilities for empirically testing model predictions by field manipulations. Here, we present a model that describes spatial interactions between vegetation, nutrients, hydrology, and peat. We used this model to study pattern formation as driven by three different mechanisms: peat accumulation, water ponding, and nutrient accumulation. By on-and-off switching of each mechanism, we created a full-factorial design to see how these mechanisms affected surface patterning (pattern of vegetation and peat height) and underlying patterns in nutrients and hydrology. Results revealed that different combinations of structuring mechanisms lead to similar types of peatland surface patterning but contrasting underlying patterns in nutrients and hydrology. These contrasting underlying patterns suggest that the presence or absence of the structuring mechanisms can be identified by relatively simple short-term field measurements of nutrients and hydrology, meaning that longer-term field manipulations can be circumvented. Therefore, this study provides promising avenues for future empirical studies on peatland patternin
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