TY - JOUR
T1 - An agent-based model of sign language persistence informed by real-world data
AU - Mudd, Katie
AU - De Vos, Connie
AU - De Boer, Bart
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like express our gratitude to three reviewers for constructive comments on a version of this manuscript. Special thanks to Bill Thompson, Sean Roberts and Yannick Jadoul for providing information about a related project modeling Kata Kolok sign fluency across the community (de Vos et al., 2016) and to Yannick Jadoul and Marnix van Soom for help with coding and fruitful comments throughout the project. A big thanks to Hannah Lutzenberger for sharing her insights into the Kata Kolok community which helped in making modeling decisions. This research was supported by the FWO - NWO grant “The emergence of phonology within six generations” awarded to Bart de Boer, Paula Fikkert and Connie de Vos.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Katie Mudd, Connie de Vos and Bart de Boer.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - As evidence from sign languages is increasingly used to investigate the process of language emergence and evolution, it is important to understand the conditions that allow for sign languages to persist. We build on a mathematical model of sign language persistence (i.e. protection from loss) which takes into account the genetic transmission of deafness, the cultural transmission of sign language and marital patterns (Aoki Feldman, 1991). We use agent-based modeling techniques and draw inspiration from the wealth of genetic and cultural data on the sign language Kata Kolok to move towards a less abstract model of sign language persistence. In a set of experiments we explorehow sign language persistence is affected by language transmission types, the distribution of deafalleles, population size and marital patterns. We highlight the value of using agent-based modeling for this type of research, which allows for the incorporation of real-world data into model development.
AB - As evidence from sign languages is increasingly used to investigate the process of language emergence and evolution, it is important to understand the conditions that allow for sign languages to persist. We build on a mathematical model of sign language persistence (i.e. protection from loss) which takes into account the genetic transmission of deafness, the cultural transmission of sign language and marital patterns (Aoki Feldman, 1991). We use agent-based modeling techniques and draw inspiration from the wealth of genetic and cultural data on the sign language Kata Kolok to move towards a less abstract model of sign language persistence. In a set of experiments we explorehow sign language persistence is affected by language transmission types, the distribution of deafalleles, population size and marital patterns. We highlight the value of using agent-based modeling for this type of research, which allows for the incorporation of real-world data into model development.
KW - agent-based modeling
KW - cultural evolution
KW - language evolution
KW - language persistence
KW - language transmission
KW - Shared sign languages
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85093685688&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1163/22105832-bja10010
DO - 10.1163/22105832-bja10010
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85093685688
VL - 10
SP - 158
EP - 187
JO - Language Dynamics and Change
JF - Language Dynamics and Change
SN - 2210-5824
IS - 2
ER -