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1239Core Knowledge of Geometry in an Amazonian Indigene GroupScience 311 (5759). 2006.Does geometry constitues a core set of intuitions present in all humans, regarless of their language or schooling ? We used two non verbal tests to probe the conceptual primitives of geometry in the Munduruku, an isolated Amazonian indigene group. Our results provide evidence for geometrical intuitions in the absence of schooling, experience with graphic symbols or maps, or a rich language of geometrical terms.
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1004Education Enhances the Acuity of the Nonverbal Approximate Number SystemPsychological Science 24 (4). 2013.All humans share a universal, evolutionarily ancient approximate number system (ANS) that estimates and combines the numbers of objects in sets with ratio-limited precision. Interindividual variability in the acuity of the ANS correlates with mathematical achievement, but the causes of this correlation have never been established. We acquired psychophysical measures of ANS acuity in child and adult members of an indigene group in the Amazon, the Mundurucú, who have a very restricted numerical le…Read more
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995Exact and Approximate Arithmetic in an Amazonian Indigene GroupScience 306 (5695): 499-503. 2004.Is calculation possible without language? Or is the human ability for arithmetic dependent on the language faculty? To clarify the relation between language and arithmetic, we studied numerical cognition in speakers of Mundurukú, an Amazonian language with a very small lexicon of number words. Although the Mundurukú lack words for numbers beyond 5, they are able to compare and add large approximate numbers that are far beyond their naming range. However, they fail in exact arithmetic with number…Read more
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884Log or linear? Distinct intuitions of the number scale in Western and Amazonian indigene culturesScience 320 (5880): 1217-1220. 2008.The mapping of numbers onto space is fundamental to measurement and to mathematics. Is this mapping a cultural invention or a universal intuition shared by all humans regardless of culture and education? We probed number-space mappings in the Mundurucu, an Amazonian indigene group with a reduced numerical lexicon and little or no formal education. At all ages, the Mundurucu mapped symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers onto a logarithmic scale, whereas Western adults used linear mapping with small or …Read more
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842On the Nature of the Reflexivization CycleIn Joyce McDunough & Bernadette Plunkett (eds.), Proceedings of The North East Linguistic Society, . pp. 17--2. 1987.This article claims that one has to distinguish between X° reflexives which do not bear phi-features, such as number, and XP complex reflexive - which do bear such features. The presence/vs absence of features, it is argued, explains the behavior of so called long distance reflexives - first observed, within the generative tradition, in scandinavian languages - but present all over. The observation according to which XP reflexives are clause bound, while X° reflexives in argument position are no…Read more
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755Theoretical implications of the study of numbers and numerals in mundurucuPhilosophical Psychology 21 (4). 2008.Developing earlier studies of the system of numbers in Mundurucu, this paper argues that the Mundurucu numeral system is far more complex than usually assumed. The Mundurucu numeral system provides indirect but insightful arguments for a modular approach to numbers and numerals. It is argued that distinct components must be distinguished, such as a system of representation of numbers in the format of internal magnitudes, a system of representation for individuals and sets, and one-to-one corresp…Read more
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754Projeter-alpha ou la langue cachéeIn Liliane Tasmowksi & Anne Zribi-Hertz (eds.), De la musique à la linguistique. Hommages à Nicolas Ruwet, Communication & Cognition. 1992.The article shows that the arugument of a verb can be projected in diffrent ways according to the meaning (agentive or not) of the predicate. An analysis is developed which suggests a modification of the projection principle according to which this principle is in part an interpretative principle, not a principle of the core grammmar.
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714Non-symbolic halving in an amazonian indigene groupDevelopmental Science 16 (3): 451-462. 2013.Much research supports the existence of an Approximate Number System (ANS) that is recruited by infants, children, adults, and non-human animals to generate coarse, non-symbolic representations of number. This system supports simple arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, and ordering of amounts. The current study tests whether an intuition of a more complex calculation, division, exists in an indigene group in the Amazon, the Mundurucu, whose language includes no words for large nu…Read more
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632Weak Crossover, Scope, and Agreement in a Minimalist FrameworkIn Martha Preuss & Martha Senturia (eds.), Proceedings of the 13th West Coast Conference in Linguistics, Cambridge University Press. 1995.Our paper presents a novel theory of weak crossover effects, based entirely on quantifier scope preferences and their consequences for variable binding. The structural notion of 'crossover' play no role. We develop a theory of scope preferences which ascribes a central role to the AGR-P System.
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607De quelques implications théoriques de l'étude des relations à longue distanceIn Mitsou Ronat & Daniel Couquaux (eds.), La grammaire modulaire, Minuit. pp. 187--209. 1986.Nous distinguons deux types d'anaphores en montrant que la comprehension des relations à longue distance met en jeu plusieurs propriétés de la grammaire comme l'association, ou non, avec un rôle thématique, ou à une position argumentale, et montrons comment les mécanismes mis en jeu sont universels - et ont des conséquences sur l'architecture de la grammaire (sur la définition de la notion de c-commande par exemple). L'article montre en particulier qu'il ne peut y avoir de réciproque ou de cliti…Read more
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554Geometry as a Universal mental ConstructionIn Stanislas Dehaene & Elizabeth Brannon (eds.), Space, Time and Number in the Brain: Searching for the Foundations of Mathematical Thought, Oxford University Press. 2011.Geometry, etymologically the “science of measuring the Earth”, is a mathematical formalization of space. Just as formal concepts of number may be rooted in an evolutionary ancient system for perceiving numerical quantity, the fathers of geometry may have been inspired by their perception of space. Is the spatial content of formal Euclidean geometry universally present in the way humans perceive space, or is Euclidean geometry a mental construction, specific to those who have received appropriate…Read more
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539The Case for Reflexives or Reflexives for CaseIn K. Deaton, M. Noske & M. Ziolkowski (eds.), Proceedings from the 26th Regional Meeting of the Chicago Linguistic Society, Chicago Linguistic Society. 1990.It is claimed that the English genitive marker 's' suprisingly mirrors- at least in some dialects of English - the three main different usage of the mono-morphemic reflexives such as 'se' in French. A solution to this paradox already noted by Jespersen (1918) is proposed drawing on Watkins paradox according to which the study of what looks like 'social' parameters might be relevant for linguistics.
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516Some Theoretical Implications of the Study of NP-Movement in Some Scandinavian LanguagesIn Thorstein Fretheim & Lars Hellan (eds.), Papers from the sixth Scandinavian Conference of Linguistics, . 1981.We argue that there exist two kinds of passive structures, a) one generated in the base b) the other transformationally derived by the structure preserving-rule of move-NP. Assuming a Case theory along the lmines of Chomsky (1978), we want to argue a) that some oblique Cases are assigned in the base b) that NP movement can move an oblique Case assigned in the base c) that movement should not be defined in terms of Case but in terms of Government.
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482In this paper, we show that many of the dramatic changes that took place in the course of the history of the English complementation system are the result of a simple morphological Change in the determiner system. We propose that Old English (OE) evolved from a system in which 'complements' clauses, relative clauses and DP were interpreted as adverbials to a system in which they are interpreted as arguments of the verb. As the determiner acquired certain certain type of morphological feature , a…Read more
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481Quais são os vinculos entre aritmética e linguagem ? Um estudo na AmazoniaRevista de Estudos E Pesquisas 2 (1): 199-236. 2005.
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478Non-Restrictive Distinction in Possessive NominalsIn Kimary N. Shahin, Susan Blake & Eun-Sook Kim (eds.), Proceedings of the 17th West Coast Conference on Formal Linguistics, Clsi. 1999.We propose that the restrictive/non restrictive distinction found in relative clauses corresponds to the Inalienable vs Alienable distinction of the Nominal Possessive constructions. We propose to extend this distinction to adjectives suggesting that is not construction specific.
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473Exact equality and successor function: Two key concepts on the path towards understanding exact numbersPhilosophical Psychology 21 (4). 2008.Humans possess two nonverbal systems capable of representing numbers, both limited in their representational power: the first one represents numbers in an approximate fashion, and the second one conveys information about small numbers only. Conception of exact large numbers has therefore been thought to arise from the manipulation of exact numerical symbols. Here, we focus on two fundamental properties of the exact numbers as prerequisites to the concept of EXACT NUMBERS : the fact that all numb…Read more
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466Kant argued that Euclidean geometry is synthesized on the basis of an a priori intuition of space. This proposal inspired much behavioral research probing whether spatial navigation in humans and animals conforms to the predictions of Euclidean geometry. However, Euclidean geometry also includes concepts that transcend the perceptible, such as objects that are infinitely small or infinitely large, or statements of necessity and impossibility. We tested the hypothesis that certain aspects of nonp…Read more
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455Subject, Tense and TruthIn Jacqueline Guéron, Hans-Georg Obenauer & Jean-Yves Pollock (eds.), Grammatical Representations, Foris. 1986.It is suggested that the notion of truth value plays a role in syntactic theory and should be incorporated in the appropriate formulation of conditions on transformations
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406The mapping of numbers on space : Evidence for a logarithmic IntuitionMédecine/Science 24 (12): 1014-1016. 2008.Des branches entières des mathématiques sont fondées sur des liens posés entre les nombres et l’espace : mesure de longueurs, définition de repères et de coordonnées, projection des nombres complexes sur le plan… Si les nombres complexes, comme l’utilisation de repères, sont apparus relativement récemment (vers le XVIIe siècle), la mesure des longueurs est en revanche un procédé très ancien, qui remonte au moins au 3e ou 4e millénaire av. J-C. Loin d’être fortuits, ces liens entre les nombres et…Read more
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392Visual foundations of Euclidean GeometryCognitive Psychology 136 (August): 101494. 2022.Geometry defines entities that can be physically realized in space, and our knowledge of abstract geometry may therefore stem from our representations of the physical world. Here, we focus on Euclidean geometry, the geometry historically regarded as “natural”. We examine whether humans possess representations describing visual forms in the same way as Euclidean geometry – i.e., in terms of their shape and size. One hundred and twelve participants from the U.S. (age 3–34 years), and 25 participan…Read more
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357Quels sont les liens entre arithmétique et langage ? Une étude en AmazonieIn Jean Bricmont & Julie Franck (eds.), Cahier Chomsky, L'herne. 2007.
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346Bibiographie résumée des travaux de Mitsou RonatRecherches Linguistiques de Vincennes 14 207-222. 1986.
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332Article Authors Metrics Comments Media Coverage Abstract Author Summary Introduction Results Discussion Supporting information Acknowledgments Author Contributions References Reader Comments (0) Media Coverage (0) Figures Abstract During language processing, humans form complex embedded representations from sequential inputs. Here, we ask whether a “geometrical language” with recursive embedding also underlies the human ability to encode sequences of spatial locations. We introduce a novel parad…Read more
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268Uma nota sobre a geometria e o sistema de aproximação numérica dos Munduruku e sua importância para o respeito à Convenção 160 da OITIn Brent Millikan, Daniela Alaracon & Mauricio Torres (eds.), Ocekadi: Violaçãoes e impactos do complexo hidroeléctrico do Tapajos, . 2016.
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262Sur le caractère inaliénable de l'êtreIn Pierre Pica & Tibor Papp (eds.), Transparence et opacité. Littérature et sciences cognitives, Cerf. pp. 207--221. 1988.It is claimed that the notion of reflexive pronoun involves, in indo-european and amerindian languages, a name or a morphological mark related to the expression of an inalienable relationship.
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260Comparing biological motion in two distinct human societiesPLoS ONE 6 (12). 2011.Cross cultural studies have played a pivotal role in elucidating the extent to which behavioral and mental characteristics depend on specific environmental influences. Surprisingly, little field research has been carried out on a fundamentally important perceptual ability, namely the perception of biological motion. In this report, we present details of studies carried out with the help of volunteers from the Mundurucu indigene, a group of people native to Amazonian territories in Brazil. We emp…Read more
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186Knowledge of number and knowledge of language: Number as a test case for the role of language in cognitionPhilosophical Psychology 21 (4). 2008.The relationship between language and conceptual thought is an unresolved problem in both philosophy and psychology. It remains unclear whether linguistic structure plays a role in our cognitive processes. This special issue brings together cognitive scientists and philosophers to focus on the role of language in numerical cognition: because of their universality and variability across languages, number words can serve as a fruitful test case to investigate claims of linguistic relativism.
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42The performance of the Mundurucu on the number-space task may exemplify a general competence for drawing analogies between space and other linear dimensions, but Mundurucu participants spontaneously chose number when other dimensions were available. Response placement may not reflect the subjective scale for numbers, but Cantlon et al.'s proposal of a linear scale with scalar variability requires additional hypotheses that are problematic
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34Response to NunezScience 312 (5803): 1310. 2008.We agree with Nuñez that the Mundurucu do not master the formal propreties of number lines and logarithms, but as the term "intuition" implies, they spontaneously experience a logarithmic mapping of number to space as natural and "feeling right."
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Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueInstitute for the History and Philosophy of Science and TechnologyResearcher
Paris, Île-de-France, France
Areas of Specialization
Philosophy of Language |
Philosophy of Mind |
Philosophy of Cognitive Science |
Other Academic Areas |