Influences of Form and Function on the Acceptability of Projective Prepositions in Swedish

Abstract

Projective prepositions express the relation between two objects by referring to a direction in space and have traditionally been regarded as expressing purely geometric relations. Recent studies have shown that the appropriateness of English and Spanish projectives also depends on functional relations between objects. This study investigates if the acceptability of the Swedish projectives över, under, ovanför and nedanför are influenced by functional factors as well, and whether över and under are differentially influenced by function than ovanför and nedanför, as has been shown for their English cognates. It also investigates how the shape and parts of the related objects influence their functional interaction, and thereby the acceptability of the prepositions. This is done with respect to the predictions of the AVS-model, a model of the perceptual processes underlying the apprehension of projectives, which takes both the geometric and the functional relation between objects into account. It was found that acceptability judgments about the prepositions are influenced by function as their corresponding English and Spanish prepositions. The acceptability of över was more sensitive to function than ovanför, whereas under and nedanför were not differentially influenced by function, as has been shown for Spanish. It was further found that the shape and parts of both of the related objects influence acceptability regions associated with the prepositions in predictable ways, as functional interactions between objects largely depend on their parts. The results finally show that the AVS-model needs to be further developed in order to account for the form and function of the located object.     

Context Affects Scale Selection for Proximity Terms

Abstract

Spatial proximity terms, such as near and far, communicate information regarding the distance in which a “located” object can be found with respect to a “reference” object. The present paper investigates whether people take into account the location of an object extraneous to the located object and reference object pair, when setting the scale for proximity language judgements. Across three experiments participants rated the appropriateness of near and far to describe spatial scenes that included a third (distractor) object positioned the same distance as the located object from the reference object, but at varying distances from the located object. The results show that the presence of other spatial relations affects scale setting, resulting in differences in appropriateness ratings for those spatial terms.     

Spatio-Temporal Ontologies and Attention

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a new proposal for the design of spatio-temporal ontologies which has its origin in cognitively motivated spatial semantics. It is shown that selective attention not only plays a central role in the characterization of spatial relations but that the representation of attentional aspects also leads to the possibility of defining an ontological upper structure which systematically covers both the spatial and the temporal domain.     

A Formalism Supplementing Cognitive Semantics Based on Mereology

ABSTRACT

This paper is motivated by and aims to supplement Cognitive Semantics. Details of this latter prominent approach within contemporary linguistic research will not be discussed here. Rather, we focus on a formalization of the concept of Gestalt and provide a formal semantics that can be used to interpret a certain formal language (LM ₀) with respect to a universe of structured wholes (Gestalts). Since a great deal of the analyses of linguistic organization that has been provided by Cognitive Semantics since the mid-1970s is based on the concept of Gestalt, the semantics unfolded in the following may be viewed as an attempt to provide a starting point for supplementing the yet informal analyses of Cognitive Semantics by formal models. Since Gestaltists have talked about Gestalts in terms of parts and wholes, it is a natural step to make use of mereological techniques.     

Modelling Dynamic Spatial Systems in the Situation Calculus

Abstract

We propose and systematically formalise a dynamical spatial systems approach for the modelling of changing spatial environments. The formalisation adheres to the semantics of the situation calculus and includes a systematic account of key aspects that are necessary to realize a domain-independent qualitative spatial theory that may be utilised across diverse application domains. The spatial theory is primarily derivable from the all-pervasive generic notion of “qualitative spatial calculi” that are representative of differing aspects of space. In addition, the theory also includes aspects, both ontological and phenomenal in nature, that are considered inherent in dynamic spatial systems. Foundational to the formalisation is a causal theory that adheres to the representational and computational semantics of the situation calculus. This foundational theory provides the necessary (general) mechanism required to represent and reason about changing spatial environments and also includes an account of the key fundamental epistemological issues concerning the frame and the ramification problems that arise whilst modelling change within such domains. The main advantage of the proposed approach is that based on the structure and semantics of the proposed framework, fundamental reasoning tasks such as projection and explanation directly follow. Within the specialised spatial reasoning domain, these translate to spatial planning/re-configuration, causal explanation and spatial simulation. Our approach is based on the hypothesis that alternate formalisations of existing qualitative spatial calculi using high-level tools such as the situation calculus are essential for their utilisation in diverse application domains such as intelligent systems, cognitive robotics and event-based GIS.     

In Memoriam: Herbert L. Pick,Jr. (1930–2012)

ABSTRACT

Fictive motion in language (as in “the ridge went north”) is claimed to reflect the attention focus of the observer on the extension and spatial layout of an entity. This paper investigates fictive motion in alpine narratives, which describe the experience of moving in a very specifically structured space. We examine space properties that are highlighted through fictive motion in this specific context and describe how they go beyond spatial extension. We further report the communicative motivation behind the use of fictive motion, ranging from conveying the sense of place to encoding the full spatial footprint of a motion event.     

Geometric structures of frames of reference and natural language semantics

This article aims at formal specifications of reference systems in spatial cognition. It concentrates on two roles of reference systems connected to spatial language: reference systems resolving ambiguities and reference systems forming a basis for the classification of linguistic terms. Although coordinate systems are often seen as candidates for the geometric structure of reference systems, it is shown here that they do not appear in the explanations that go into the details. An analysis of the German terms vor, hinter, rechts and links (in front of, in back of, right, left) presents an alternative model for the geometric structure of spatial reference systems.     

On Embedding a Qualitative Representation in a Two-Dimensional Plane

Abstract

This paper discusses embedding in a two-dimensional plane a symbolic representation for spatial data using the simple objects, points (P), lines (L), circuits (C), and areas (A). We have proposed PLCA as a new framework for a qualitative spatial reasoning. In a PLCA expression, the entire figure is represented in a form in which all the objects are related. We investigate the conditions for two-dimensional realizability of a PLCA expression, and derive the relation that the numbers of objects in a PLCA expression should have. In this process, we use the well-known Euler's formula. We also give an algorithm for drawing the figure of the PLCA expression that satisfies this condition in a two-dimensional plane and prove its correctness. The algorithm generates a quantitative expression from qualitative expression.     

Spatial Metaphors of Web Use

When the web became popular, people had to develop ways to talk and think about it. In the mid-1990s, we analyzed spatial language in “web talk.” We found that people described pages as places, and search as motion, both passive and active motion. Here we investigate web talk nearly two decades later. Our analysis reveals that some spatial language has stayed the same, and some has changed. Of special interest is how far fewer motion verbs are used nowadays. We argue that people naturally produce spatial metaphors when talking about new technological domains, and that over time, the most useful elements persist.     

Spatial Reorientation: Effects of Verbal and Spatial Shadowing

ABSTRACT

Spatially disoriented adults flexibly conjoin geometric information (macroscopic shape) and nongeometric information (e.g., the color of a wall) to re-establish their bearings. It has been proposed that non-geometric information is incorporated into a geometric frame of reference through the use of spatial language. Support for this assumption comes from dual-task studies in which participants failed to use non-geometric features when they shadowed a verbal message concurrent to the reorientation task. These studies were performed in small rectangular spaces. In contrast, our study was performed in a large square room. Experiment 1 showed that verbal shadowing did not disrupt non-geometric feature use in this environment. In Experiment 2, we found that a spatial shadowing task that required the encoding of frequently changing spatial directions impaired reorientation behavior. Our study shows that nongeometric information can be used for reorientation without recourse to linguistic processes, and suggests that the use of non-geometric features is dependent upon a spatial coding process.     

Function,geometry and spatial prepositions: Three experiments

In this paper the results of three experiments are reported whichaddress the issue of the relative extent to which functionalrelations versus geometric relations affect spatial language. Theexperiments examine the role of a discourse context on the useand rating of the preposition in to describe a visual scenewhere the constraint of spatial containment between figure(object located) and ground (reference object) does not hold. Allthree experiments demonstrate that in is used more andrated to be significantly more appropriate in a functionalcontext than in a no context condition. The implications of thesestudies for spatial language and spatial representation arediscussed.     

Topologically Characterized Movement Patterns: A Cognitive Assessment

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the role of topology as a predictor for the conceptualization of dynamically changing spatial configurations (referred to as movement patterns). We define meaningful units of movement patterns as paths through a topologically defined conceptual neighborhood graph. Topology plays a central role in formal approaches to human cognition and in predicting cognitive similarity ratings—although primarily for static spatial configurations. Formal specifications of the role of topology for characterizing movement patterns do exist, yet there is paucity of behavioral validation. To bridge this gap, we conducted an experiment based on the grouping paradigm to assess factors that underlie conceptualizations of movement patterns. The experiment was designed such that paths through the conceptual neighborhood graph were distinguished by topologically differentiated ending relations. We believe topology can make an important contribution in explaining movement conceptualizations. One recently formulated topology-based contribution is the endpoint hypothesis, asserting that a cognitive focus is placed on event ending relations. We discuss the results of our experiment in relation to previous experiments targeted toward a framework for modeling the cognitive conceptualization of dynamically changing spatial relations.     

Determination of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Foton M-2</Emphasis> satellite attitude motion by the data of microacceleration measurements

The results of reconstruction of uncontrolled attitude motion of the Foton M-2 satellite using measurements with the accelerometer TAS-3 are presented. The attitude motion of this satellite has been previously determined by the measurement data of the Earth’s magnetic field and the angular velocity. The TAS-3 data for this purpose are used for the first time. These data contain a well-pronounced additional component which made impossible their direct employment for the reconstruction of the attitude motion and whose origin was unknown several years ago. Later it has become known that the additional component is caused by the influence of the Earth’s magnetic field. The disclosure of this fact allowed us to take into account a necessary correction in processing of TAS-3 data and to use them for the reconstruction of the attitude motion of Foton M-2. Here, a modified method of processing TAS-3 data is described, as well as results of its testing and employing. The testing consisted in the direct comparison of the motion reconstructed by the new method with the motion constructed by the magnetic measurements. The new method allowed us to find the actual motion of Foton M-2 in the period June 9, 2005–June 14, 2005, when no magnetic measurements were carried out.     

Mining Spatial Associations with Limited Sensory Information

Abstract

Human navigation in an unknown environment requires an understanding of the spatial relationships of the terrain. For example, a soldier who is on a reconnaissance mission in a new city needs to “know” the spatial layout of the surroundings with high confidence. Oftentimes, this understanding must be acquired within a very short amount of time and with limited sensory inputs. The soldier would benefit from a digital avatar that draws inferences about the spatial layout of the city based on an initial set of observations and guides the soldier either in further exploring the environment or in making decisions based on these inferences. In this paper, we present and evaluate an inductive approach to learning spatial associations using sensory data that is available from the simulation environment of a computer game, Unreal Tournament. We study two kinds of spatial relationships between nodes on a level of a game map: nodes that are placed near each other to satisfy some spatial requirement and nodes that are placed near each other to satisfy the design preferences of a level architect. We show that we can infer both kinds of relationships using an association rule mining algorithm. Furthermore, we show how to use an ontology to distinguish between these relationships in order to discover different types of spatial arrangements on a specific map. We discuss how the inferred associations can be used to control an avatar that makes recommendations for navigating unexplored areas on a map. We conclude with some thoughts on the applicability of our methods to scenarios in the real world, beyond the simulation environment of a game, and on how the learned associations can be represented and queried by a simple question-answer type system.     

Reasoning about Depth and Motion from an Observer's Viewpoint

ABSTRACT

The goal of this paper is to present a logic-based formalism for representing knowledge about objects in space and their movements, and show how this knowledge could be built up from the viewpoint of an observer immersed in a dynamic world. In this paper space is represented using functions that extract attributes of depth, size and distance from snapshots of the world. These attributes compose a novel spatial reasoning system named Depth Profile Calculus (DPC). Transitions between qualitative relations involving these attributes are represented by an extension of this calculus called Dynamic Depth Profile Calculus (DDPC). We argue that knowledge about objects in the world could be built up via a process of abduction on DDPC relations.     

Effects of Communication Methods on Communication Patterns and Performance in a Remote Spatial Orientation Task

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to examine the impact of communication methods (text-only, audio-only, and audio-plus-video) on communication patterns and effectiveness in a 2-person remote spatial orientation task. The task required a pair of participants to figure out the cardinal direction of a target object by communicating spatial information and perspectives. Results showed that overall effectiveness in the audio-only condition was better than the text-only and audio-plus-video conditions, and communication patterns were more predictive of errors than individual differences in spatial abilities. Discourse analysis showed that participants in the audio-plus-video condition performed less mental transformation of spatial information when communicating, which led to more interpretation errors by the listener. Participants in the text-only conditions performed less confirmation and made more errors by misreading their own display. Results suggested that speakers in the audio-plus-video condition minimized effort by communicating spatial information based on their own perspective but speakers in the audio-only and text-only conditions would more likely communicate transformed spatial information. Analysis of gestures in the audio-plus-video condition confirmed that iconic gestures tended to co-occur with spatial transformation. Iconic gesture rates were negatively correlated with transformation errors, indicating that iconic gestures more likely co-occurred with successful communication of spatial transformation. Results show that when visual interactive feedback is available, speakers tend to adopt egocentric spatial perspectives to minimize effort in mental transformation and rely on the feedback to ensure that the hearer correctly interprets the information. When visual interactive feedback is not available, speakers will put more effort in transforming spatial information to help the hearer to understand the information. The current result demonstrated that allowing two persons to see and communicate with each other during a remote spatial reasoning task can lead to more errors because of the use of a suboptimal communication strategy.