REVOLUPHON - Rational Evolutionary Phonology

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REVOLUPHON aims to transform the theory of phonology by explaining the field's most significant observations of the past sixty years. Decades of research has revealed that phonologies are particularly well described in terms of (i) certain abstract formal representations and (ii) an optimisation process. However, we do not yet understand why.My core hypothesis is that the dominant, descriptive discoveries of phonology since the 1960's will be explained by a new synthesis with (i) resource rationality; and (ii) cultural evolution.(i) Resource rationality is a new theory of cognition that explains the motivations and advantages of cognitive computational strategies, including for when and how to store information. I hypothesise that resource rationality can illuminate the cognitive motivations for classic, descriptively-successful phonological representations. REVOLUPHON tests this hypothesis by modelling the computational tasks demanded by phonology across three successive developmental stages, and evaluating the resource rationality of classic representations in the contexts of those tasks.(ii) Evolution leads to optimisation and phonologies undergo cultural evolution. However, an explanatory link from evolution to optimisation has yet to be made in phonological theory. I hypothesise that a formalised theory of phonological evolution will explain why phonologies (mostly) optimise, how they do, and when they do not. REVOLUPHON tests this hypothesis by: developing new modes of evolutionary analysis and devising computational models that couple cultural evolution to the resource-rational learning and use of phonology, to solve outstanding theoretical problems of (non-)optimisation and to answer entirely new questions abouthow phonologies evolve.REVOLUPHON charts a bold path that overturns our understanding of the central observations of the field; leads to a new and significantly deeper explanation of them; and founds a vibrant and productive new theory.