REVOLUPHON - Rational Evolutionary Phonology

REVOLUPHON - 理性进化音韵学

• 批准号: EP/Y02429X/1
• 负责人: Erich Round
• 金额: $ 214.16万
• 依托单位: University of Surrey
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FY02429X%2F1
• 关键词: REVOLUPHON; Rational; Evolutionary; Phonology

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.

REVOLUPHON 旨在通过解释该领域过去六十年来最重要的观察结果来改变音系学理论。数十年的研究表明，音韵学在（i）某些抽象形式表示和（ii）优化过程方面得到了特别好的描述。然而，我们还不明白其中的原因。我的核心假设是，自 20 世纪 60 年代以来音韵学的主导性、描述性发现将通过新的综合来解释：(i) 资源合理性； (i) 资源理性是一种新的认知理论，它解释了认知计算策略的动机和优势，包括何时以及如何存储信息。我假设资源理性可以阐明经典的、描述性成功的语音表征的认知动机。 REVOLUPHON 通过对音系学在三个连续发展阶段所需的计算任务进行建模，并评估这些任务背景下经典表征的资源合理性来测试这一假设。(ii) 进化导致优化，音系学经历文化进化。然而，语音理论尚未建立从进化到优化的解释性联系。我假设音系进化的形式化理论将解释为什么音系（大部分）优化、它们如何优化以及何时不优化。 REVOLUPHON 通过以下方式测试这一假设：开发新的进化分析模式并设计计算模型，将文化进化与音系学的资源理性学习和使用结合起来，解决（非）优化的突出理论问题，并回答有关音系学如何发展的全新问题REVOLUPHON 绘制了一条大胆的道路，颠覆了我们对该领域中心观察的理解；导致对它们有新的、更深入的解释；并建立了一个充满活力和富有成效的新理论。