Lecture 5- Situation models Flashcards
What things indicate a structure to language that is bigger than just a sentence?
-We refer to things (and more) across multiple
sentences.
-A series of sentences can seem nonsensical if
they don’t adhere into Something.
-We talk about the same thing in different
modalities.
-Previous knowledge changes language
understanding.
-We translate between languages.
What model of a conversation sits in our head?
Situation model
To begin with is a situation model going to be specific?
- No, it will be very general and abstract as you apply it to every conversation you have (i.e. its blank)
- As you talk you update the situation model to make it more specific adding the information you gain
When might it be hard to add to a situation model?
When the conversation doesn’t match what you expected
What are the 5 things that are included in a situation model?
- Time
- Space (physical world that you can move in)
- Causation (causes another thing to happen)
- Motivation (goals you are trying to accomplish)
- Protagonist (typically a person who is doing things)
What experiments show that space is part of the situational model?
Experiment 1:
- Sentence with objects in clear spatial locations
- Sentence with objects in vague locations
Despite there being more to remember the 1st option is easier as you add to the situation model that exists in your head
Experiment 2:
-Memorize a map of a building with objects
-Memorize a map of a building with objects and a
protagonist
Second one is easier to remember as spaces that a protagonist moves through are recalled with ease
Experiment 3:
-The knife is in front of the pot. The pot is behind the
dish. The dish is on the left of the glass.
-The knife is in front of the pot. The glass is behind the
dish.
Easier to remember 1st sentence as the space connects sentence to sentence linking the objects together
To sum up the findings of experiments what can be said about space in a situational model?
-We remember objects better when they are in a
spatial relationship
-That relationship is often oriented around the
protagonist
-We update that spatial map with each sentence.
What experiment shows that causation is part of the situation model?
Experiment 1:
-Take a series of events and test recall on them.
-In one version, you just list the events.
-In the second, there is a causal relationship between
them.
Easier to remember second version
How may causation be explicitly mentioned?
- Use of words like because, so, therefore etc.
- When you explicitly state the cause of something it is easier to remember
How may causation be implicitly mentioned?
- The publisher put a lot of marketing work into my novel. It became a bestseller.
- There is a causal connection between doing more marketing word and selling well, therefore this is remembered better than alternatives.
- This proves that cause does not need to be explicitly stated for memory to be improved
What is the evidence that intention (goals) are part of the situation model?
-Ongoing goals are in short-term memory:
-If a goal is ongoing, we can more easily access that
goal, discuss it, and work with it.
-When a goal is completed, it becomes less accessible
-For example when ask people what they remember of a story the mainly recount the goal rather than the fine details
How do protagonists influence what we remember?
-We pay attention to protagonists, especially people collecting information on them first
-Discourse like conversation tracks them sentence by
sentence.
-Therefore memory retrieval to do with a protagonist is strongest there,
How does a protagonist influence objects?
-We pay more attention+ have better recall for things that the protagonist interacts with e.g. tools, obstacles, desires
Why do you not need to mention a persons name at the start of every sentence when talking about them in multiple sentences?
Once you create a model just point to model with word like she rather than mentioning by name every time
How does time link to causation?
Need 1 time at the event (causing something) and 1 at the result
