Abstract
In order to discover design principles for a large memory that can enable it to serve as the base of knowledge underlying human-like language behavior, experiments with a model memory are being performed. This model is built up within a computer by "recoding" a body of information from an ordinary dictionary into a complex network of elements and associations interconnecting them. Then, the ability of a program to use the resulting model memory effectively for simulating human performance provides a test of its design. One simulation program, now running, is given the model memory and is required to compare and contrast the meanings of arbitrary pairs of English words. For each pair, the program locates any relevant semantic information within the model memory, draws inferences on the basis of this, and thereby discovers various relationships between the meanings of the two words. Finally, it creates English text to express its conclusions. The design principles embodied in the memory model, together with some of the methods used by the program, constitute a theory of how human memory for semantic and other conceptual material may be formatted, organized, and used.
Keywords
Computer scienceEmbodied cognitionSemantic memoryWord (group theory)Human memoryArtificial intelligenceSemantic networkMemory modelNatural language processingKnowledge baseCognitive scienceSemantics (computer science)Programming languageLinguisticsCognitionShared memoryPsychology
Related Publications
Glove: Global Vectors for Word Representation
Recent methods for learning vector space representations of words have succeeded in capturing fine-grained semantic and syntactic regularities using vector arithmetic, but the o...
Finding Structure in Time
Time underlies many interesting human behaviors. Thus, the question of how to represent time in connectionist models is very important. One approach is to represent time implici...
Parallel networks that learn to pronounce English text
This paper describes NETtalk, a class of massively-parallel network systems that learn to convert English text to speech. The memory representations for pronunciations are learn...
Designing Information Technology to Support Distributed Cognition
Cognition in organizations is a distributed phenomenon, in which individual members of an organization reflect upon their experience, make plans, or take action. Organizational ...
Conceptual Processing during the Conscious Resting State: A Functional MRI Study
Abstract Localized, task-induced decreases in cerebral blood flow are a frequent finding in functional brain imaging research but remain poorly understood. One account of these ...
Publication Info
- Year
- 1967
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 410-430
- Citations
- 758
- Access
- Closed
External Links
Social Impact
Altmetric
PlumX Metrics
Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions
Citation Metrics
758
OpenAlex
Cite This
M. Ross Quillian
(1967).
Word concepts: A theory and simulation of some basic semantic capabilities.
Systems Research and Behavioral Science
, 12
(5)
, 410-430.
https://doi.org/10.1002/bs.3830120511
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1002/bs.3830120511