The aim of the workshop is to focus on how the concept of‘meaning’can
be grounded in an ecological view of natural language as a means
for social coordination at the different time-scales of its complexity.
A thread will emerge, linking the time scales of language from its
evolutionary origin to its neurological, ontogenetic, socio-cultural
grounding both at the level of individual cognition and in groups.
The interdisciplinary discussion of these views will lead to a better
understanding of meaning at the psycho- and socio-linguistic levels and
to new ways to look at interactions between human and artificial agents.
Due to its interdisciplinary character, the event could interest linguists,
psycholinguists, anthropologists, philosophers and sociologists of
language, and engineers interested in interactions between humans
and artificial agents.
Sponsored by:
Rethinking
‘meaning’
in the ecological
view of language
AIP - Associazione Italiana di Psicologia
Dept. of Psychology, University of Bologna
Scuola Superiore di Studi Umanistici - University of Bologna
Scienfic commitee
Prof Nicoletta Caramelli
Dept. of Psychology, University of Bologna
Dr Joanna Rączaszek-Leonardi
Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences and
Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw
Dr Riccardo Fusaroli
Center for Semiotics, Institute of Aesthetics and Communication,
Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, University of Aarhus
April, 12/13 - 2012
Aula Prodi
Complesso S. Giovanni in Monte
Università di Bologna
Piazza San Giovanni in Monte 2
Bologna - Italy
April, 12
09:15 – 09:45
09: 45 - 10:30
10:30 – 11:00
11:00 – 11:45
11:45 – 12:30
12:30 – 13:15
13:15 – 14:30
14:30 – 15:15
15:15 – 16:00
16:00 – 16:30
16:30 – 17:15
17:15 – 18:15
Opening address
TBD
A. Scott Kelso, Center for Complex Systems & Brain Sciences Florida Atlantic University
Coffee break
Meaning in Evolutionary Perspective
Thomas Scott-Philipps, Language Evolution and
Computation Research Unit University of Edinburgh
Language as a Biocultural Niche and
Social Institution
Chris Sinha, Department of Psychology,
University of Portsmouth
Discussion
Lunch
Meaning in animal vocal communication:
continuities and discontinuities with humans
Katie Slocombe, Department of Psychology,
The University of York
Sensorimotor origins of reference
Linda B. Smith, Dept. of Psychological and
Brain Sciences Indiana University – Bloomington
Coffee break
Phonology and meaning
Carol A. Fowler, Haskins Laboratories - New Haven, CT
Discussion
www.unibo.it/Ricerca/Meaning
April, 13
9:30 – 10:15 So where’s the feeling in meaning?
Jos Van Berkum, Utrecht Institute for Linguistics OTS
10:15 - 11:00Meaning and enchrony in the social distribution
of human agency
Nick Enfield, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics,
Nijmegen
11:00 - 11:30 Coffee break
11:30 -12:15 Voice dynamics: cognition beyond the brain
Stephen Cowley, School of Psychology,
University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield UK
12:15 - 13:00Discussion
13:00 - 13:45 Lunch
13:45 - 14:30Visit to Santo Stefano
14:30 - 15:15Meaning is central to language learning
Luc Steels, Institute for Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC) Barcelona and Sony Computer Science Laboratory Paris
15:15 -16:00 Evolutionary pressures on meaning complexity
Andrew Smith, Department of English Studies,
University of Stirling, Stirling UK
16:00 -16:30 Coffee break
16:30 -17:15 Discussion
17:15 -17:30 Concluding Remarks