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中最重要的观察来改变语音学理论。数十年的研究表明，通过（i）某些抽象形式表示和（ii）优化过程，语音学尤其得到了很好的描述。但是，我们尚不了解为什么。我的核心假设是自1960年代以来的主导，描述性的发现将通过（i）资源合理性的新综合来解释。 （ii）文化进化。（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，包括何时和如何存储信息。我假设资源合理性可以阐明经典，成功的语音表达的认知动机。 Revoluphon通过模拟语音在三个连续的发展阶段所需的计算任务来检验这一假设，并在这些任务的背景下评估经典表示的资源合理性。（ii）演变导致优化和语音学经历了文化进化。但是，在语音理论中尚未建立从进化到优化的解释性联系。我假设语音进化的形式化理论将解释为什么语音（主要）优化，它们的工作方式以及何时不进行。 Revoluphon通过：开发进化分析的新模式，并设计了计算模型，将文化进化与资源理性学习和语音的使用相结合，以解决（非）优化的杰出理论问题，并回答全新的问题，并完全回答了新的问题。导致对它们的新解释。并建立了一个充满活力和富有成效的新理论。