Bibliographie de Jean-Louis Dessalles
List of Publications

Books

La pertinence et ses origines cognitives nouvelles théories	Les origines de la culture : les origines du langage (avec P. Picq et B. Victorri) Le Pommier, Paris: 2006	Why We Talk The evolutionary origins of language Oxford University Press 2007	Aux origines du langage Une histoire naturelle de la parole Hermès, Paris: 2000	L'ordinateur génétique Hermès, Paris: 1996

( see also: Interviews and Talks )

All papers sorted by date and sorted by type

Detailed topics :

· Language

Narrative relevance : Between 25% and 40% of conversation time is devoted to narratives. I developed a model of narrative relevance, trying to discover the laws of interest. My most recent model is based on cognitive complexity. Interesting topics correspond to a cognitive complexity drop, that I call unexpectedness (U). This led me to define subjective probability as p=2^–U.
Argumentative relevance : During spontaneous conversation, individuals engage in discussions. This behaviour is made possible by their ability to detect logical inconsistencies and to perceive contradictions between facts and desires. We introduce the notion of cognitive conflict and we attempt to encapsulate the human conversational competence into a minimal argumentative procedure through which participants attempt to solve a shared cognitive conflict.
Relevance = narrative + argumentative relevance + more on the modelling of pragmatics.
Cognitive representation of meaning : We reject the idea that concepts are permanent representations (ontologies). However, we stick to the idea that symbolic structures are necessary to interpret combinatorial and logical phenomena observed in language and in reasoning. Our solution is a procedure through which conceptual representations are formed "on the fly". Our model is based on the assumption of a contrast operator which allows topological relations to operate on perceptual representations, giving birth to transitory symbolic representations.

· Evolution of language

Evolutionary emergence of communication : I developed several arguments to show that human communication did not emerge as a form of cooperation. I am suggesting that the biological function of human language is to display qualities that are sought after when choosing profitable coalition partners. The ability to be relevant would be a crucial quality in the particular politics of our species. The consistency of the idea is tested through mathematical modelling and computer simulation.
Phylogeny of human cognition : The particular cognitive abilities of homo sapiens did not evolve independently. Logical reasoning, episodic memory, the ability to form conceptual representations and to process syntactic structures are claimed to be consequences of the evolution of language. I developed new arguments from semantics and pragmatics in support of the protolanguage hypothesis.
Simulation of evolution : I build on the idea of biomimetic algorithm, i.e. genetic algorithms that stick to the biological metaphor.
Emergence  : Emergence takes place in an observer’s mind. It is characterized by a sudden cognitive complexity drop when considering a collective.Emergence can be studied in human or artificial societies, where individual agents may be aware of the pattern emerging at the collective level.

· Cognitive Science

Human learning mechanisms : I showed that general leaning procedures are bound to produce "good shapes" (in the sense of the Gestalt theory).
Structures and functions of consciousness : I showed that phenomenal consciousness cannot be an epiphenomenon. The argument is indirect and does not infringe on the "hard problem".

· Others

Computer Assisted Learning

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