Cognition
@cognitionjournal.bsky.social
EiC team: Johan Wagemans, Ian Dobbins, Ori Friedman, and Katrien Segaert
We show that the reduction of joint communicative effort when repeatedly referring to the same object, follows a negative power law. Importantly, the faster this reduction, the more conceptualizations change and the closer they come together.
November 27, 2025 at 6:49 PM
We show that the reduction of joint communicative effort when repeatedly referring to the same object, follows a negative power law. Importantly, the faster this reduction, the more conceptualizations change and the closer they come together.
10/10
For the full paper: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
For the full paper: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Sound symbolism highlights relative distinctiveness: Evidence from English vocabulary
There is robust evidence that people associate certain sounds with meanings, yet the prevalence and importance of sound symbolism in natural language …
www.sciencedirect.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
10/10
For the full paper: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
For the full paper: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
9/10
This finding also has methodological implications. Studies often test whether words with similar meanings sound similar. Instead, they should test whether words for referents that stand out similarly across contexts (e.g., all larger) sound the same.
This finding also has methodological implications. Studies often test whether words with similar meanings sound similar. Instead, they should test whether words for referents that stand out similarly across contexts (e.g., all larger) sound the same.
November 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
9/10
This finding also has methodological implications. Studies often test whether words with similar meanings sound similar. Instead, they should test whether words for referents that stand out similarly across contexts (e.g., all larger) sound the same.
This finding also has methodological implications. Studies often test whether words with similar meanings sound similar. Instead, they should test whether words for referents that stand out similarly across contexts (e.g., all larger) sound the same.
8/10
So the English vocabulary reflects size sound symbolism, but, more importantly, sound symbolism specifically highlights distinguishing properties of the referents.
So the English vocabulary reflects size sound symbolism, but, more importantly, sound symbolism specifically highlights distinguishing properties of the referents.
November 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
8/10
So the English vocabulary reflects size sound symbolism, but, more importantly, sound symbolism specifically highlights distinguishing properties of the referents.
So the English vocabulary reflects size sound symbolism, but, more importantly, sound symbolism specifically highlights distinguishing properties of the referents.
7/10
Some studies find that voiceless stops (e.g., /t/) sound small and voiced stops (e.g., /b/) sound large. Turns out that words for relatively small referents also have more voiceless - voiced stops than words for relatively large referents
Some studies find that voiceless stops (e.g., /t/) sound small and voiced stops (e.g., /b/) sound large. Turns out that words for relatively small referents also have more voiceless - voiced stops than words for relatively large referents
November 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
7/10
Some studies find that voiceless stops (e.g., /t/) sound small and voiced stops (e.g., /b/) sound large. Turns out that words for relatively small referents also have more voiceless - voiced stops than words for relatively large referents
Some studies find that voiceless stops (e.g., /t/) sound small and voiced stops (e.g., /b/) sound large. Turns out that words for relatively small referents also have more voiceless - voiced stops than words for relatively large referents
6/10
For each word the Front Bias (#front vowels - #back vowels) was calculated. Results show that words denoting relatively small referents have a higher front bias than words denoting relatively large referents
For each word the Front Bias (#front vowels - #back vowels) was calculated. Results show that words denoting relatively small referents have a higher front bias than words denoting relatively large referents
November 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
6/10
For each word the Front Bias (#front vowels - #back vowels) was calculated. Results show that words denoting relatively small referents have a higher front bias than words denoting relatively large referents
For each word the Front Bias (#front vowels - #back vowels) was calculated. Results show that words denoting relatively small referents have a higher front bias than words denoting relatively large referents
5/10
This was tested by extracting from OED all words whose definitions include a size adjective (e.g., small, large). So terrella = “a little Earth” was defined as small despite its absolute large size. A matched set of control words was also extracted.
This was tested by extracting from OED all words whose definitions include a size adjective (e.g., small, large). So terrella = “a little Earth” was defined as small despite its absolute large size. A matched set of control words was also extracted.
November 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
5/10
This was tested by extracting from OED all words whose definitions include a size adjective (e.g., small, large). So terrella = “a little Earth” was defined as small despite its absolute large size. A matched set of control words was also extracted.
This was tested by extracting from OED all words whose definitions include a size adjective (e.g., small, large). So terrella = “a little Earth” was defined as small despite its absolute large size. A matched set of control words was also extracted.
4/10
But if all small objects were to have names with front vowels and all large objects have names with back vowels, it would be confusing. Instead, this paper proposes that sound symbolism highlights distinguishing properties
But if all small objects were to have names with front vowels and all large objects have names with back vowels, it would be confusing. Instead, this paper proposes that sound symbolism highlights distinguishing properties
November 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
4/10
But if all small objects were to have names with front vowels and all large objects have names with back vowels, it would be confusing. Instead, this paper proposes that sound symbolism highlights distinguishing properties
But if all small objects were to have names with front vowels and all large objects have names with back vowels, it would be confusing. Instead, this paper proposes that sound symbolism highlights distinguishing properties
3/10
But studies that test whether the general vocabulary of natural languages is sound symbolic often fail to find such effects. Specifically, words for small referents do not have more front vowels and fewer back vowels than words for large referents
But studies that test whether the general vocabulary of natural languages is sound symbolic often fail to find such effects. Specifically, words for small referents do not have more front vowels and fewer back vowels than words for large referents
November 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
3/10
But studies that test whether the general vocabulary of natural languages is sound symbolic often fail to find such effects. Specifically, words for small referents do not have more front vowels and fewer back vowels than words for large referents
But studies that test whether the general vocabulary of natural languages is sound symbolic often fail to find such effects. Specifically, words for small referents do not have more front vowels and fewer back vowels than words for large referents
2/10
There is robust evidence that people associate sounds with meaning, a phenomenon called sound symbolism. For example, people agree that words with front vowels, like mil ,sound smaller than words with back vowels, like mal.
There is robust evidence that people associate sounds with meaning, a phenomenon called sound symbolism. For example, people agree that words with front vowels, like mil ,sound smaller than words with back vowels, like mal.
November 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
2/10
There is robust evidence that people associate sounds with meaning, a phenomenon called sound symbolism. For example, people agree that words with front vowels, like mil ,sound smaller than words with back vowels, like mal.
There is robust evidence that people associate sounds with meaning, a phenomenon called sound symbolism. For example, people agree that words with front vowels, like mil ,sound smaller than words with back vowels, like mal.
"Memory for repeated auditory textures"
📢New paper from: Berfin Bastug, Vani Rajendran, Roberta Bianco, Trevor Agus, Maria Chait, & Daniel Pressnitzer
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
📢New paper from: Berfin Bastug, Vani Rajendran, Roberta Bianco, Trevor Agus, Maria Chait, & Daniel Pressnitzer
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Memory for repeated auditory textures
Even though memory plays a pervasive role in perception, the nature of the memory traces left by past sounds is still largely mysterious. Here, we pro…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:42 PM
"Memory for repeated auditory textures"
📢New paper from: Berfin Bastug, Vani Rajendran, Roberta Bianco, Trevor Agus, Maria Chait, & Daniel Pressnitzer
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
📢New paper from: Berfin Bastug, Vani Rajendran, Roberta Bianco, Trevor Agus, Maria Chait, & Daniel Pressnitzer
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
These complementary computational strategies highlight the flexibility of hearing in a most important task: using traces of the past to better deal with the present – even when the “past” is just a particular patch of rain at the start of a song.
November 24, 2025 at 2:42 PM
These complementary computational strategies highlight the flexibility of hearing in a most important task: using traces of the past to better deal with the present – even when the “past” is just a particular patch of rain at the start of a song.
Here, we suggest an additional trick your auditory system could use: randomly sampling a few auditory features in time, to create a compact but distinctive “fingerprint” for the memorised sound.
November 24, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Here, we suggest an additional trick your auditory system could use: randomly sampling a few auditory features in time, to create a compact but distinctive “fingerprint” for the memorised sound.
Storing all details of complex and stochastic sounds would be biologically unreasonable. Earlier work showed that “summary statistics” are an efficient way to identify broad classes of natural textures.
November 24, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Storing all details of complex and stochastic sounds would be biologically unreasonable. Earlier work showed that “summary statistics” are an efficient way to identify broad classes of natural textures.
This raises a deeper question: what could be the nature of the representation that gets committed to memory?
November 24, 2025 at 2:42 PM
This raises a deeper question: what could be the nature of the representation that gets committed to memory?
This memory trace was highly specific to the repeated sound. It distinguished that particular excerpt from all other sounds coming from the same physical source.
November 24, 2025 at 2:42 PM
This memory trace was highly specific to the repeated sound. It distinguished that particular excerpt from all other sounds coming from the same physical source.
The key is repetition. As with artificial sounds previously studied (noise, clicks,...) , the re-occurrence of a natural texture was enough to create a memory trace.
November 24, 2025 at 2:42 PM
The key is repetition. As with artificial sounds previously studied (noise, clicks,...) , the re-occurrence of a natural texture was enough to create a memory trace.
In a new paper (open-access in Cognition), we show that the answer may be a surprising “yes”, at least in some circumstances.
November 24, 2025 at 2:42 PM
In a new paper (open-access in Cognition), we show that the answer may be a surprising “yes”, at least in some circumstances.
Read the full article in Cognition: “Statistical learning and individual differences in language abilities…” by Ágnes Lukács, Bálint József Ugrin & Krisztina Sára Lukics.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 22, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Read the full article in Cognition: “Statistical learning and individual differences in language abilities…” by Ágnes Lukács, Bálint József Ugrin & Krisztina Sára Lukics.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Our findings show that language abilities build on domain-general cognitive processes, offering a clearer picture of how individual differences in language arise.
November 22, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Our findings show that language abilities build on domain-general cognitive processes, offering a clearer picture of how individual differences in language arise.
Using structural equation modelling, we show that perceptual speed and working memory are key contributors to the statistical learning–language relationship.
November 22, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Using structural equation modelling, we show that perceptual speed and working memory are key contributors to the statistical learning–language relationship.