Multiplex lexical networks reveal patterns in early word acquisition in children.
Multiplex lexical networks reveal patterns in early word acquisition in children.
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DOI：
10.1038/srep46730
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发表时间：
2017-04-24
影响因子：
4.6
通讯作者：
Brede M
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Stella M;Beckage NM;Brede M
语言的网络模型提供了一种将认知过程与语言结构联系起来的方法。然而，当前的方法一次只关注一种语言关系，忽略了语言复杂的多重关系本质。在这项工作中，我们通过将英语幼儿的心理词汇建模为多重词汇网络来克服这一限制，即一个多层网络，其中 N = 529 个单词/节点根据四种关系连接：（i）自由联想，（ii）特征共享，（iii）共现和（iv）语音相似性。我们研究了所得到的多路复用的拓扑结构，然后继续评估单层和完整的多路复用结构预测英语幼儿采集数据的经验观察年龄的能力。我们发现多重拓扑是习得认知过程的重要代理，能够捕获新出现的词汇结构。事实上，我们表明，在预测单词获取顺序方面，多路复用结构从根本上比单个层更强大。此外，多重分析可以量化早期学习者词汇习得的不同阶段：虽然最初所有多重层都有助于单词学习，但在大约 23 个月后，自由联想在驱动单词习得方面发挥了主导作用。
Network models of language have provided a way of linking cognitive processes to language structure. However, current approaches focus only on one linguistic relationship at a time, missing the complex multi-relational nature of language. In this work, we overcome this limitation by modelling the mental lexicon of English-speaking toddlers as a multiplex lexical network, i.e. a multi-layered network where N = 529 words/nodes are connected according to four relationship: (i) free association, (ii) feature sharing, (iii) co-occurrence, and (iv) phonological similarity. We investigate the topology of the resulting multiplex and then proceed to evaluate single layers and the full multiplex structure on their ability to predict empirically observed age of acquisition data of English speaking toddlers. We find that the multiplex topology is an important proxy of the cognitive processes of acquisition, capable of capturing emergent lexicon structure. In fact, we show that the multiplex structure is fundamentally more powerful than individual layers in predicting the ordering with which words are acquired. Furthermore, multiplex analysis allows for a quantification of distinct phases of lexical acquisition in early learners: while initially all the multiplex layers contribute to word learning, after about month 23 free associations take the lead in driving word acquisition.