Dessalles, J-L. (2012). Human language: an evolutionary anomaly. In , to appear. .
Keywords: EVOLUTION
Munch, D. & Dessalles, J-L. (2011). Vers un modèle minimaliste du traitement des relations temporelles. In , Modèles formels de l’interaction (MFI-11) - Actes des sixièmes journées francophones. Rouen: .
Keywords: MEANING
Dessalles, J-L. (2011). Reasoning as a lie detection device (Commentary on Mercier and Sperber:’Why do humans reason? Arguments for an argumentative theory’). Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 34 (2), 76-77.
Keywords: ARGUMENTATIONEVOLUTION The biological function of human reasoning abilities cannot be to improve shared knowledge. This is at best a side effect. A more plausible function of argumentation, and thus of reasoning, is to advertise one's ability to detect lies and errors. Such selfish behavior iscloser to what we should expect from a naturally selected competence.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2011). Simplicity Effects in the Experience of Near-Miss. In L. Carlson, C. Hoelscher & T. F. Shipley (Eds.), Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, 408-413. Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society.
Keywords: SIMPLICITYEMOTION Near-miss experiences are one of the main sources of intense emotions. Despite people's consistency when judging near-miss situations and when communicating about them, there is no integrated theoretical account of the phenomenon. In particular, individuals' reaction to near-miss situations is not correctly predicted by rationality-based or probability-based optimization. The present study suggests that emotional intensity in the case of near-miss is in part predicted by Simplicity Theory.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2011). Ex-Post Algorithmic Probability. Technical Report Telecom-ParisTech 2011-D-009.
Keywords: SIMPLICITY Algorithmic probability is traditionally defined by considering the output of a universal machine fed with random programs. This definition proves inappropriate for many practical applications where probabilistic assessments are spontaneously and instantaneously performed. In particular, it does not tell what aspects of a situation are relevant when considering its probability ex-post (after its occurrence). As it stands, the standard definition also fails to capture the fact that simple, rather than complex outcomes are often considered improbable, as when a supposedly random device produces a repeated pattern. More generally, the standard algorithmic definition of probability conflicts with the idea that entropy maximum corresponds to states that are both complex (unordered) and probable. We suggest here that algorithmic probability should rather be defined as a difference in complexity. We distinguish description complexity from generation complexity. Improbable situations are situations that are more complex to generate than to describe. We show that this definition is more congruent with the intuitive notion of probability.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2011). Sharing cognitive dissonance as a way to reach social harmony. Social Science Information, 50 (1), 116-127.
Keywords: CONVERSATION Commonsense wisdom dictates that mutual understanding grows with cognitive harmony. Communication seems impossible between people who do not share values, beliefs and concerns. If brought to the extreme, this statement however neglects the fact that the formation of social bonds crucially depends on the expression of cognitive dissonance.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2011). The real mystery about language - Comment on ’Modeling The Cultural Evolution of Language’ by Luc Steels. Physics of life reviews, 8 (4), 369-370.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (2011). Algorithmic simplicity and relevance. In D. L. Dowe (Ed.), Proceedings of the Solomonoff 85th Memorial Conference, to appear. Melbourne, AU: .
Keywords: SIMPLICITYNARRATIVE The human mind is known to be sensitive to complexity. For instance, the visual system reconstructs hidden parts of objects following a principle of maximum simplicity. We suggest here that higher cognitive processes, such as the selection of relevant situations, are sensitive to variations of complexity. Situations are relevant to human beings when they appear simpler to describe than to generate. This definition offers a predictive (i.e. refutable) model for the selection of situations worth reporting (interestingness) and for what individuals consider an appropriate move in conversation.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2011). Pragmatics and evolution. In P. C. Hogan (Ed.), The Cambridge encyclopedia of the language sciences, 649-651. Cambridge University Press.
Keywords: EVOLUTIONCONVERSATION For at least 100 000 years, human beings have been talking the way we do. Language is universally used by most individuals in every culture several hours each day, primarily during conversational chatter (Dunbar 1998). How did our species come to adopt such a strange behavior in the course of its evolution? The question has been considered in turn as obvious and baffling. A proper approach to the reasons why we talk requires that the biological function of language be understood, and pragmatics is the right place to seek out that function.
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Munch, D. & Dessalles, J-L. (2011). A procedural approach to temporal meanings. In , to appear. .
Keywords: MEANING
Dessalles, J-L. (2010). From metonymy to syntax in the communication of events. In M. A. Arbib & D. Bickerton (Eds.), The emergence of protolanguage - Holophrasis vs compositionality, 51-65. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Comp..
Keywords: EVOLUTION Language, from its early hominin origin to now, was not primarily being used for practical purposes. We suggest that an essential function of protolanguage was to signal ‘noteworthy' events, as humans still systematically do. Words could not be so specific as to refer to whole, non-recurring, situations. They referred to elements such as objects or locations, and the communicated event was inferred metonymically. Compositionality was achieved, without syntax, through multi-metonymy, as words referring to elements of the same situation were concatenated into proto-utterances.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2010). Préface. In D. Bickerton (Ed.), La langue d’Adam, v-ix. Paris: Dunod.
Keywords: EVOLUTION
Dessalles, J-L. (2010). In praise of resemblance: Human communicational universals as basis for mutual acceptance. Generalized Science of Humanity Series, 5, 65-73.
Keywords: CONVERSATION In the human species, individuals establish social bonds mainly based on communication. Among the qualities that are used by individuals to include other individuals in their social network, the ability to demonstrate one's relevance in the eye of others proves crucial. In this respect, relevance can be more important than sharing a common culture or a common language. Fortunately, the principles that govern relevance in communication seem to be universal and deeply rooted in our biology, enabling any two individuals in our species to become friends, regardless of their differences.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2010). Emotion in good luck and bad luck: predictions from simplicity theory. In S. Ohlsson & R. Catrambone (Eds.), Proceedings of the 32nd Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, 1928-1933. Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society.
Keywords: SIMPLICITYEMOTION The feeling of good or bad luck occurs whenever there is an emotion contrast between an event and an easily accessible counterfactual alternative. This study suggests that cognitive simplicity plays a key role in the human ability to experience good and bad luck after the occurrence of an event.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2010). Et si la coopération était un mythe ? Un pilier des sciences sociales ébranlé par la simulation. Nouvelles perspectives en sciences sociales, 5 (2), 79-89.
Keywords: EVOLUTION La coopération est l'un des piliers, voire un axiome, des sciences sociales. Elle seule permet à des individus non apparentés de vivre ensemble. Même la guerre, sorte d'autodestruction des sociétés, repose sur une coopération efficace. Et, pour prendre un exemple que je connais bien, le langage est présenté aux étudiants comme un cas emblématique de coopération, consistant en un échange d'informations. C'est pourtant à propos du langage que j'ai eu mes premiers doutes. J'ai alors tenté de m'attaquer au pilier, armé du canif des modélisateurs, la simulation.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2010). Comment le langage est venu à l’homme. La Recherche, 445, 64-65.
Keywords: EVOLUTION
Dessalles, J-L. (2010). Providing information can be a stable non-cooperative evolutionary strategy. Paris: Technical Report Telecom ParisTech 2010D025.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Human language is still an embarrassment for evolutionary theory, as the speaker's benefit remains unclear. The willingness to communicate information is shown here to be an evolutionary stable strategy (ESS), even if acquiring original information from the environment involves significant cost and communicating it provides no material benefit to addressees. In this study, communication is used to advertise the emitter's ability to obtain novel information. We found that communication strategies can take two forms, competitive and uniform, that these two strategies are stable and that they necessarily coexist.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2010). Have you anything unexpected to say? The human propensity to communicate surprise and its role in the emergence of language. In A. D. M. Smith, M. Schouwstra, B. de Boer & K. Smith (Eds.), The evolution of language - Proceedings of the 8th International Conference (Evolang8 - Utrecht), 99-106. Singapore: World Scientific.
Keywords: EVOLUTIONSIMPLICITY Individuals devote one third of their language time to mentioning unexpected events. We try to make sense of this universal behaviour within the Costly Signalling framework. By systematically using language to point to the unexpected, individuals send a signal that advertises their ability to anticipate danger. This shift in display behaviour, as compared with typical displays in primate species, may result from the use by hominins of artefacts to kill.
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Dessalles, J-L., Machery, E., McKenzie Alexander, J. & Cowie, F. (2010). Symposium on J.-L. Dessalles’s Why we Talk. Biology and philosophy, 25 (5), 851-901.
Keywords: EVOLUTION This symposium discusses J.-L. Dessalles's account of the evolution of language, which was presented in Why we Talk (Oxford Univ. Press 2007).
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Dessalles, J-L. (2010). L’émergence du langage au cours de l’évolution. In M. Banniard & D. Philps (Eds.), La fabrique du signe - Linguistique de l’émergence, 22-33. Toulouse: Presses Universitaires du Mirail.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Nous défendons ici l'idée que le langage humain est né d'une compétition inédite dans le monde animal, la compétition informationnelle. De nombreux aspects de notre mode de communication, notamment sa modalité essentiellement orale, ses lexiques pléthoriques, son caractère déplacé (hors du ‘ici et maintenant'), son mode dialogique, toutes choses parfaitement mystérieuses autrement, trouvent une explication dans le fait que les locuteurs sont engagés dans une compétition commu¬ni¬cationnelle de laquelle les gagnants retirent un bénéfice social. Cette explication de l'émergence du langage ne se limite pas à imaginer un intérêt pour l'auditeur, mais également pour le locuteur. Elle est donc recevable dans un cadre darwinien.
Dessalles, J-L. (2010). Aux sources du langage. In J-F. Dortier (Ed.), Le langage, 126-135. Auxerre: Editions Sciences Humaines.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (2009). Why we talk - The evolutionary origins of language (2nd edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Why do human beings tirelessly strive to provide information to conspecifics? Human language seems to benefit listeners more than speakers. It seems to be an exception in a Darwinian world in which organisms are primarily concerned with their own survival.
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Dimulescu, A. & Dessalles, J-L. (2009). Prédire l’intérêt dans la communication événementielle. In N. Maudet, P.-Y. Schobbens & M. Guyomard (Eds.), Modèles formels de l’interaction (MFI-09) - Actes des cinquièmes journées francophones, 125-134. Lannion: .
Keywords: NARRATIVESIMPLICITY Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (2009). Une anomalie de l’évolution : le langage. In T. Heams, P. Huneman, G. Lecointre & M. Silberstein (Eds.), Les mondes darwiniens - L’évolution de l’évolution, 863-882. Paris: Editions Syllepse.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Les être humains, dans leur milieu naturel, utilisent le langage pour bavarder. C'est lors de ce comportement étrange et faussement futile qu'ils constituent leur réseau social. Je montre comment cette fonction permet d'expliquer l'existence du langage dans un cadre darwinien. Je montre également pourquoi d'autres modèles, proposés dans le passé, échouent face aux contraintes darwiniennes
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Dimulescu, A. & Dessalles, J-L. (2009). Understanding narrative interest: Some evidence on the role of unexpectedness. In N. A. Taatgen & H. van Rijn (Eds.), Proceedings of the 31st Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, 1734-1739. Amsterdam, NL: Cognitive Science Society.
Keywords: NARRATIVESIMPLICITY This study is an attempt to measure the variations of interest aroused by conversational narratives when definite dimensions of the reported events are manipulated. The results are compared with the predictions of the Complexity Drop Theory, which states that events are more interesting when they appear simpler, in the Kolmogorov sense, than anticipated.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2009). Où est mon information ?. Telecom, 154, 57-60.
Keywords: NARRATIVE Le prix de certaines informations est devenu négatif : nous sommes prêts à payer pour ne pas recevoir la plupart des messages qui assaillent nos boîtes électroniques. À l'inverse, le coût de l'information pertinente, ou le temps nécessaire pour la trouver, risque d'augmenter indéfiniment. Pourrons-nous échapper à cette malédiction ?
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Dessalles, J-L. (2008). Coincidences and the encounter problem: A formal account. In B. C. Love, K. McRae & V. M. Sloutsky (Eds.), Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, 2134-2139. Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society.
Keywords: SIMPLICITY Individuals have an intuitive perception of what makes a good coincidence. Though the sensitivity to coincidences has often been presented as resulting from an erroneous assessment of probability, it appears to be a genuine competence, based on non-trivial computations. The model presented here suggests that coincidences occur when subjects perceive complexity drops. Co-occurring events are, together, simpler than if considered separately. This model leads to a possible redefinition of subjective probability.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2008). Spontaneous narrative behaviour in homo sapiens: how does it benefit to speakers?. In A. D. M. Smith, K. Smith & R. Ferrer i Cancho (Eds.), The evolution of language - Proceedings of the 7th International Conference (Evolang7 - Barcelona), 91-98. Singapore: World Scientific.
Keywords: EVOLUTIONNARRATIVE The fact that human beings universally put much energy and conviction in reporting events in daily conversations demands an explanation. After having observed that the selection of reportable events is based on unexpectedness and emotion, we make a few suggestions to show how the existence of narrative behaviour can be consistent with the socio-political theory of the origin of language.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2008). Why is language well-designed for communication? (Commentary on Christiansen and Chater: ’Language as shaped by the brain’). Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 31 (5), 518-519.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Selection through iterated learning explains no more than other non-functional accounts, such as universal grammar, why language is so well-designed for communicative efficiency. It does not predict several distinctive features of language like central embedding, large lexicons or the lack of iconicity, that seem to serve communication purposes at the expense of learnability.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2008). From metonymy to syntax in the communication of events. Interaction Studies, 9 (1), 51-65.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Language, from its early hominin origin to now, was not primarily being used for practical purposes. We suggest that an essential function of protolanguage was to signal ‘noteworthy' events, as humans still systematically do. Words could not be so specific as to refer to whole, non-recurring, situations. They referred to elements such as objects or locations, and the communicated event was inferred metonymically. Compositionality was achieved, without syntax, through multi-metonymy, as words referring to elements of the same situation were concatenated into proto-utterances.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2008). A computational model of argumentation in everyday conversation: a problem-centred approach. In P. Besnard, S. Doutre & A. Hunter (Eds.), Computational Models of Argument - Proceedings of COMMA 2008, 128-133. Amsterdam: IOS Press.
Keywords: ARGUMENTATION Human beings share a common competence for generating relevant arguments. We hypothesize the existence of a cognitive procedure that enables them to determine the content of their arguments. We consider that this procedure must be simple to have cognitive plausibility. This paper is an attempt to determine central aspects of this cognitive procedure. The originality of the present approach is to analyse spontaneous argument generation as a process in which arguments either signal problems or aim at solving previously acknowledged problems.
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Dessalles, J-L., Ferber, J. & Phan, D. (2008). Emergence in agent based computational social science: conceptual, formal and diagrammatic analysis. In Y. Shyan & A. Yang (Eds.), Intelligent complex adaptive systems, 255-299. IGI Global.
Keywords: EMERGENCE This chapter provides a critical survey of emergence definitions both from a conceptual and formal standpoint. The notions of downward / backward causation and weak / strong emergence are specially discussed, for application to complex social system with cognitive agents. Particular attention is devoted to the formal definitions introduced by (Müller 2004) and (Bonabeau & Dessalles, 1997), which are operative in multi-agent frameworks and make sense from both cognitive and social point of view. A diagrammatic 4-Quadrant approach, allow us to understanding of complex phenomena along both interior/exterior and individual/collective dimension.
Dessalles, J-L. (2008). La pertinence et ses origines cognitives - Nouvelles théories. Paris: Hermes-Science Publications.
Keywords: SIMPLICITYCONVERSATION Les conversations quotidiennes constituent une arène permanente où se joue l'essentiel de notre existence sociale. Dans ce jeu proprement humain, la pertinence est le principal critère. Nous possédons tous une intuition précise de ce qui rend une histoire ou un argument pertinent et nous sommes hypersensibles aux défauts de pertinence.
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Garabedian, S. & Dessalles, J-L. (2007). Consommation éthique : mode ou rupture ?. In S. Lardon & S. Schwer (Eds.), Catastrophes, discontinuités, ruptures, limites, frontières - Actes des journées de Rochebrune, 143-154. ENST 2007-S-001.
Keywords: EMERGENCE
Dessalles, J-L. (2007). Le rôle de l’impact émotionnel dans la communication des événements. In J. Lang, Y. Lespérance, D. Sadek & N. Maudet (Eds.), Actes des journées francophones ’Modèles formels de l’interaction’ (MFI-07), 113-125. Paris: Annales du LAMSADE, Université Paris Dauphine.
Keywords: EMOTION Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (2007). Spontaneous assessment of complexity in the selection of events. Technical Report ParisTech-ENST 2007D011.
Keywords: SIMPLICITY Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (2007). A computational model of argumentation in everyday conversation: a problem-centred approach. Technical Report ParisTech-ENST 2007D017.
Keywords: ARGUMENTATION Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (2007). Storing events to retell them (Commentary on Suddendorf and Corballis: ’The evolution of foresight’). Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 30 (3), 321-322.
Keywords: EVOLUTIONNARRATIVE Episodic memory is certainly a unique endowment, but its primary purpose is something other than to provide raw material for creative synthesis of future scenarios. Remembered episodes are exactly those which are worth telling. The function of episodic memory, in our view, is to accumulate stories that are relevant to recount in conversation.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2007). Humans and apes make friends differently: Implications for the evolutionary emergence of language. In P. M. Kappeler & M. Schwibbe (Eds.), Primate Behavior and human universals - Abstracts of the 6th Göttinger Freilandtage, 24-25. Göttingen: Primate Report.
Keywords: EVOLUTION
Dessalles, J-L. (2007). Why we talk - The evolutionary origins of language (English edition of ’Aux origines du langage’). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Why do human beings tirelessly strive to provide information to conspecifics? Human language seems to benefit listeners more than speakers. It seems to be an exception in a Darwinian world in which organisms are primarily concerned with their own survival.
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Dessalles, J-L., Müller, J.-P. & Phan, D. (2007). Emergence in multi-agent systems: conceptual and methodological issues. In F. Amblard & D. Phan (Eds.), Agent-based modelling and simulation in the social and human sciences, 327-355. Oxford: The Bardwell-Press.
Keywords: EMERGENCE
Dessalles, J-L. (2007). Complexité cognitive appliquée à la modélisation de l’intérêt narratif. Intellectica, 45 (1), 145-165.
Keywords: SIMPLICITYNARRATIVE Nous définissons la complexité cognitive comme une notion dérivée de la complexité de Kolmogorov. Nous montrons qu'une partie importante de ce qui retient l'intérêt des êtres humains, notamment lors de la sélection des événements spontané¬ment signalés ou rapportés, peut être prédite par un saut de complexité cognitive. Nous évaluons les conséquences de ce modèle pour l'étude de la pertinence conversa¬tionnelle.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2006). Intérêt conversationnel et complexité : le rôle de l’inattendu dans la communication spontanée. Psychologie de l’Interaction, 21-22, 259-281.
Keywords: SIMPLICITYNARRATIVE La conversation humaine agit comme un filtre extraordinairement sélectif : seule une infime partie des situations que les locuteurs ont vécues ou ont pu connaître sera jugée digne d'être rapportée aux interlocuteurs. L'un des objectifs de la recherche sur le langage consiste à rechercher des critères permettant de prévoir si une situation sera perçue comme suffisamment « intéressante » si elle est mentionnée en conversation. Nous montrons ici que le caractère inattendu de certaines situations, qui conduit souvent à ce qu'elles soient rapportées en conversation, est lié à des écarts de complexité, et que ce phénomène peut s'expliquer dans le cadre plus général de la théorie « shannonienne » de la communication événementielle.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2006). Ethologie du langage. In J-L. Dessalles, P. Picq & B. Victorri (Eds.), Les origines du langage, 131-190. Paris: Editions Le Pommier.
Keywords: EVOLUTION
Dessalles, J-L. (2006). Unexpectedness and probability judgments. In , 37th European Mathematical Group Meeting, 25. Brest, France: 11-13 September.
Keywords: SIMPLICITY
Dessalles, J-L. (2006). A structural model of intuitive probability. In D. Fum, F. Del Missier & A. Stocco (Eds.), Proceedings of the seventh International Conference on Cognitive Modeling, 86-91. Trieste, IT: Edizioni Goliardiche.
Keywords: SIMPLICITY Though the ability of human beings to deal with probabilities has been put into question, the assessment of rarity is a crucial competence underlying much of human decision-making and is pervasive in spontaneous narrative behaviour. This paper proposes a new model of rarity and randomness assessment, designed to be cognitively plausible. Intuitive randomness is defined as a function of structural complexity. It is thus possible to assign probability to events without being obliged to consider the set of alternatives. The model is tested on Lottery sequences and compared with subjects' preferences.
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Dessalles, J-L., Picq, P. & Victorri, B. (2006). Les origines du langage. Paris: Editions Le Pommier.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Comment le langage est-il apparu ? Certes pas parce qu'il fallait que l'on parle... L'éthologie, la paléoanthropologie, la linguistique, servent ici de guides précieux dans une véritable enquête qui nous mène sur les traces des premiers humains. Existe-t-il des méthodes qui nous permettraient de reconstituer une éventuelle 'langue mère' ? Comment un 'protolangage' se serait-il complexifié pour d'atteindre l'immense sophistication de nos langues actuelles ? Le langage, universel dans notre espèce et exception dans le règne animal, constituerait-il une anomalie de l'évolution ? Les rôles joués par le langage et l'avantage évolutif qu'ils induisent seraient une des clés permettant de répondre à ces questions.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2006). Human language in the light of evolution. In , JEP 2006: Actes des XXVIes journées d’étude sur la parole, 17-23. Dinard, France: AFCP - IRISA - ISCA.
Keywords: EVOLUTION This paper explores a few consequences of the hypothesis that language evolved for the benefit of speakers. The hypothesis, supported by recent Darwinian scenarios of language emergence, explains why speech production organs were dramatically transformed through evolution, while auditory systems remained practically unchanged. It also explains the need for huge vocabularies and for large episodic memory, and it dismisses the possibility of gesture-first scenarios of language origins.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2006). Trivialization behaviour in conversation. In , Proceedings of the 2nd Conference on Language, Culture and Mind, 44-46. Paris: Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications.
Keywords: NARRATIVECONVERSATION Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (2006). Le langage humain à la lumière de l’évolution. In , JEP 2006: Actes des XXVIes journées d’étude sur la parole, 17-23. Dinard, France: AFCP - IRISA - ISCA.
Keywords: EVOLUTION This paper explores a few consequences of the hypothesis that language evolved for the benefit of speakers. The hypothesis, supported by recent Darwinian scenarios of language emergence, explains why speech production organs were dramatically transformed through evolution, while auditory systems remained practically unchanged. It also explains the need for huge vocabularies and for large episodic memory, and it dismisses the possibility of gesture-first scenarios of language origins.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2006). Generalised signalling: a possible solution to the paradox of language. In A. Cangelosi, A. D. M. Smith & K. Smith (Eds.), The evolution of language, 75-82. Singapore: World Scientific.
Keywords: EVOLUTION The systematic and universal communicative behaviour that drives human beings to give honest information to conspecifics during long-lasting conversational episodes still represents a Darwinian paradox. Attempts to solve it by comparing conversation with a mere reciprocal cooperative information exchange is at odds with the reality of spontaneous language use. The Costly Signalling Theory has recently attracted attention as a tentative explanation of the evolutionary stability of language. Unfortunately, it makes the wrong prediction that only elite individuals would talk. I show that as far as social bonding is assortative in our species, generalised signalling through language becomes a viable strategy to attract allies.
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Lafitte-Certa, P., Dessalles, J-L. & Picq, P. (2006). Interview. Europe 1, , 22.06.2006.
Keywords: EVOLUTION
Dessalles, J-L. (2006). Du protolangage au langage : modèle d’une transition. Marges linguistiques, 11, 142-152.
Keywords: EVOLUTION L'existence des capacités syntaxiques qui permettent aux êtres humains de manier des langues complexes reste mystérieuse. Pour certains auteurs, ces capacités seraient apparues totalement par hasard au cours de l'évolution et leur application à la communication serait fortuite. Nous essayons ici de montrer comment la modélisation de l'interface syntaxe-sémantique permet d'envisager un tout autre scénario. L'aptitude à manier des structures syntaxiques serait apparue en deux temps et serait liée à une nouvelle capacité sémantique, la formation des prédicats. La récursivité serait apparue lors de la deuxième étape, comme un moyen de lier les prédicats entre eux pour permettre la détermination de leurs arguments.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2006). From protolanguage to language: model of a transition. Marges linguistiques, 11, 142-152.
Keywords: EVOLUTION The existence of syntactic abilities allowing human beings to process complex languages remains mysterious. According to some authors, these abilities appeared by mere chance at some point in evolution, and their use in communication is, in some way, fortuitous. We try here to show how a simple model of the syntax-semantic interface allows us to consider a quite different scenario. The ability to process syntactic structures would have appeared in a two-step evolutionary process and would be the consequence of a new semantic ability, the ability to form predicates. Recursion is claimed to have appeared in the second step, as a way to link predicates for their arguments to be determined.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2005). Communication among selfish agents: From cooperation to display. In , Proceedings of the 3rd Lake Arrowhead Conference on Human Complex Systems. Los Angeles: University of California Los Angeles.
Keywords: EVOLUTION
Dessalles, J-L. & Phan, D. (2005). Emergence in multi-agent systems: Cognitive hierarchy, detection, and complexity reduction. In P. Mathieu, B. Beaufils & O. Brandouy (Eds.), Artificial Economics, 147-159. Springer LNEMS 564.
Keywords: EMERGENCE
Dessalles, J-L. & Ghadakpour, L. (2005). Semantic abilities evolved as well - Electronic commentary on M. Arbib: ’From monkey-like action recognition to human language’. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 28 (2).
Keywords: MEANINGEVOLUTION The evolutionary story proposed in the target paper makes no difference between semantic representations underlying language and more general cognitive representations, at work in perception and action, which humans share with apes and probably other mammals. Though semantic representations supporting language are grounded in perception, some of them, specifically predicative structures, should rather be considered a distinctive feature of human communication system. Any evolutionary scenario about language should explain how human minds evolved to form the kind of thoughts that are communicated through language.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2005). Criteria for coalition formation. In , Proceedings of the European Conference on Complex Systems (ECCS-05), 189-190. Paris: .
Keywords: EVOLUTION
Phan, D. & Dessalles, J-L. (2005). Strong emergence in a population of agents. In , Proceedings of the European Conference on Complex Systems (ECCS-05), 252-253. Paris: .
Keywords: EMERGENCE
Dessalles, J-L. (2005). Vers une modélisation de l’intérêt. In A. Herzig, Y. Lespérance & A.-I. Mouaddib (Eds.), Actes des troisièmes journées francophones ’Modèles formels de l’interaction’ (MFI-05), 113-122. Toulouse: Cépaduès Editions.
Keywords: NARRATIVECONVERSATION Un aspect important des interactions humaines est lié au fait que les individus exigent les uns des autres que leurs messages apparaissent comme intéressants, les autres messages étant perçus comme inutiles, gênants, voire ineptes. Nous proposons ici un modèle de l'intérêt, for-mé à partir de l'observation des conversations spontanées. Nous vérifions que de fortes contraintes portent sur le contenu des messages admissibles. Nous identifions en particulier une classe de messages "inté-ressants" ignorée des modèles habituels : les messages portant sur un état de fait improbable, que nous analy-sons comme associés à une valeur informationnelle élevée. Les applications potentielles de ce modèle vont de la sélection automatique des informations à l'interaction humain-machine
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Dessalles, J-L. (2004). Language as an isolated niche. In , Abstracts of the International Conference on the Evolution of Language, 10. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
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Ghadakpour, L. & Dessalles, J-L. (2004). Conceptual interface. In , Abstracts of the Conference ’Architecture of the Language Faculty’, 12. London: University College of London.
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Ghadakpour, L. & Dessalles, J-L. (2004). Contrast predication and evolution. In , Abstracts of the International Conference on Language, Culture and Mind, 26. Portsmouth: University of Portsmouth.
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Clarini, J., Dessalles, J-L., Dortier, J-F. & Kaplan, F. (2004). Débat sur ’Les origines du langage’. France Culture - 24.02.2004.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (2004). About the adaptiveness of syntactic recursion - Commentary on F. Newmeyer: ’Cognitive and functional factors in the evolution of grammar’. In , Coevolution of Language and Theory of Mind. Interdisciplines: electronic conference.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Recursion has a function: it gives a new role to predicates. The main predicate in a sentence expresses a thought for argumentative purposes. The main predicate is what is really meant, what is offered to the addressees' critique (in the case of argumentation) or to their appraisal (in the case of event report). Thanks to recursion, other predicates can be introduced to determine arguments. They help addressees determine what x refers to in the scene.
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Ghadakpour, L. & Dessalles, J-L. (2004). Transient concepts and compositionality. In , Abstracts of the Interdisciplinary Conference ’New Aspects of Compositionality’, 2. Paris: ENS et Université Paris-Sorbonne.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2004). More syntax, less inference - Commentary on G. Origgi and D. Sperber: ’A pragmatic perspective on the evolution of language and languages’. In , Coevolution of Language and Theory of Mind. Interdisciplines: electronic conference.
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Dessalles, J-L. & Ghadakpour, L. (2004). La construction cognitive du temps. In D. Badariotti (Ed.), Le temps dans les systèmes complexes naturels et artificiels - Actes des journées de Rochebrune, 95-109. Paris: ENST 2004-S-001.
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Dessalles, J-L. & Ghadakpour, L. (2003). Object recognition is not predication - Commentary on James R. Hurford: ’The neural basis of predicate-argument structure’. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 26 (3), 290-291.
Keywords: MEANING Predicates involved in language and reasoning are claimed to radically differ from categories applied to objects. Human predicates are the cognitive result of a contrast between perceived objects. Object recognition alone cannot generate such operations as modification and explicit negation. The mechanism studied by Hurford constitutes at best an evolutionary prerequisite of human predication ability.
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Ghadakpour, L. & Dessalles, J-L. (2003). Modèle procédural du repérage temporel. In B. Chaib-Draa & A. Herzig (Eds.), Actes des journées francophones ’Modèles formels de l’interaction’ (MFI-03), 267-270. Toulouse: Cépaduès Editions.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2003). Non-kin altruism and the evolutionary emergence of human language. In , Abstracts of the Conference ’Human Biology: an Evolutionary Perspective’. Montpellier: Université de Montpellier 2.
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Hurford, J. R. & Dessalles, J-L. (2002). The problematic transition from specific competences to general competence - Commentary on Peter Carruthers: ’The cognitive functions of language’. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 25 (6), 690-691.
Keywords: EVOLUTIONMEANING Postulating a variety of mutually isolated thought domains for pre-linguistic creatures is both unparsimonious and implausible, requiring unexplained parallel evolution of each separate module. Furthermore, the proposal that domain-general concepts are not accessible without prior exposure to phonetically realized human language utterances cannot be implemented by any concept-acquisition mechanism.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2002). La fonction shannonienne du langage : un indice de son évolution. Langages, 146, 101-111.
Keywords: NARRATIVE La raison première pour laquelle le comportement de langage existe dans notre espèce est à rechercher dans l'utilisation que nous en faisons et dans l'impact biologique que cette utilisation peut avoir sur la survie et la reproduction des individus. Nous analysons l'une de ces utilisations, que nous qualifions de shannonienne et qui consiste à attirer systématiquement l'attention sur les nouveautés. Nous suggérons que l'emploi shannonien du langage est révélateur de son utilisation première et constituait même la raison d'être de ce qu'il est convenu d'appeler le protolangage.
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Fléaux, R. & Dessalles, J-L. (2002). Nous parlons car nous sommes une espèce politique - Interview. Sciences et Avenir, 662, 107.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (2002). Coalition factor in the evolution of non-kin altruism. In F. Schweitzer (Ed.), Modeling Complexity in Economic and Social Systems, 323-353. Singapour: World Scientific.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Animal behavior is often altruistic. In the frame of the theory of natural selection, altruism can only exist under specific conditions like kin selection or reciprocal cooperation. We show that reciprocal cooperation, which is generally invoked to explain non-kin altruism, requires very restrictive conditions to be stable. Some of these conditions are not met in many cases of altruism observed in nature. In search of another explanation of non-kin altruism, we consider Zahavis's theory of prestige. We extend it to propose a ‘political' model of altruism. We give evidence showing that non-kin altruism can evolve in the context of inter-subgroup competition. Under such circumstances, altruistic behavior can be used by individuals to advertise their quality as efficient coalition members. In this model, only abilities which positively correlate with the subgroup success can evolve into altruistic behaviors.
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Dessalles, J-L. & Ghadakpour, L. (2002). The co-evolution of language and friendship. In , Abstracts of the International Conference on the Evolution of Language, 37. Cambridge, MA: University of Harvard.
Keywords: EVOLUTION
Ghadakpour, L. & Dessalles, J-L. (2002). Cognitive requirements for the expression of time. In , Abstracts of the International Conference on the Evolution of Language, 47. Cambridge, MA: University of Harvard.
Keywords: MEANING
Ghadakpour, L. & Dessalles, J-L. (2001). Potential and actual infinite in cognitive models of time. Paris: Technical Report ENST 2001-D-004.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2001). L’origine politique du langage. La Recherche, 341, 31-35.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Comme toutes les caractéristiques physiques et toutes les dispositions comportementales universelles de notre espèce, la capacité de langage est un produit de la sélection naturelle. Quel avantage particulier a-t-elle procuré à nos ancêtres pour qu'ils se mettent à parler ?
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Dessalles, J-L. (2001). Qualia and spandrels: an engineering perspective. Paris: Technical Report ENST 2001-D-012.
Keywords: CONSCIOUSNESSEVOLUTION A number of concepts are included in the term 'consciousness'. We choose to concentrate here on phenomenal consciousness, the process through which we are able to experience aspects of our environment or of our physical state. We probably share this aspect of consciousness with many animals which, like us, feel pain or pleasure and experience colours, sounds, flavours, etc. Since phenomenal consciousness is a feature of some living species, we should be able to account for it in terms of natural selection. Does it have an adaptive function, or is it an epiphenomenon ? We shall give arguments to reject the second alternative. We propose that phenomenal properties of consciousness are involved in a labelling process that allows us to discriminate and to evaluate mental representations. We also discuss to what extent consciousness as such has been selected for this labelling function.
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Levisalles, N. & Dessalles, J-L. (2001). Nous parlons car nous sommes une espèce politique - Interview. Libération, , 21.07.2001.
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Levisalles, N. & Dessalles, J-L. (2001). Homo eructus: les préhistoriens cherchent la trace du premier langage - Interview. Libération, , 22.01.2001.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2001). La récursivité dans le dialogue argumentatif. In B. Chaib-Draa & P. Enjalbert (Eds.), Actes des journées francophones ’Modèles formels de l’interaction’ (MFI-01), 49-59. Toulouse: Université de Toulouse.
Keywords: ARGUMENTATION Les interventions, au cours d'un dialogue argumentatif, sont logiquement reliées les unes aux autres. De ce fait, l'agencement des répliques prend une forme arborescente, qui apparaît comme une structure fractale : la structure locale d'une partie du dialogue ressemble à la structure qui l'englobe. Nous montrons ensuite comment une telle structure peut être vue comme le résultat de l'application récursive d'une procédure de génération d'arguments. Nous envisageons enfin la faisabilité d'une capacité artificielle de dialogue construite autour d'une telle procédure récursive.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2001). The role of language in the formation of large coalitions. In M. Hausberger (Ed.), Abstracts of the Conference ’Social Life and Communication: An Element of Understanding in the Evolution of Language ?’, 33-34. Rennes: Université de Rennes 1.
Keywords: EVOLUTION
Dessalles, J-L. (2000). Evolution et cognition - Actes de la journée scientifique de l’Association pour la Recherche Cognitive. Paris: ENST.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2000). Le protolangage : un portrait robot de la communication de nos ancêtres. In J-L. Dessalles (Ed.), Evolution et cognition - Actes de la journée scientifique de l’Association pour la Recherche Cognitive, 19-24. Paris: ENST.
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Ghadakpour, L. & Dessalles, J-L. (2000). Le réalisme temporel face à Zénon. In , Temps et sciences cognitives - Actes des journées du Réseau de Sciences Cognitives d’Ile-de-France, 26. Paris: RISC.
Keywords: MEANING Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. & Ghadakpour, L. (2000). Proceedings of the International Conference on the Evolution of Language. Paris: ENST.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (2000). Aux origines du langage : Une histoire naturelle de la parole. Paris: Hermès-science.
Keywords: EVOLUTION La capacité de langage est souvent présentée comme l’aboutissement inévitable d’une évolution qui va de l’amibe à l’homme. En acquerrant les prédispositions nécessaires à l’usage de la parole, notre espèce aurait simplement franchi une étape supplémentaire. Pourtant, ce comportement auquel nous consacrons une part significative de notre temps éveillé est, par bien des aspects, différent de la communication animale. En reliant la structure de chaque composante du langage (phonologie, syntaxe, sémantique, pragmatique) à ses possibles fonctions, l’auteur révèle un paradoxe : pourquoi les être humains cherchent-ils inlassablement à fournir des informations à leurs congénères ? Le comportement langagier semble faire exception à la théorie darwinienne, qui prévoit que les organismes se préoccupent avant tout de leur propre survie. Pour résoudre ce paradoxe, l’auteur nous demande de remonter aux origines du langage. Il en vient à l’idée que l’émergence de notre manière de communiquer est liée au mode d’organisation particulier des groupes humains. Les premières formes de langage seraient apparues, chez les hominidés, comme un moyen pour les individus de se choisir afin de former des coalitions. Ainsi, loin de résulter d’une tendance évolutive générale, l’apparition du langage serait une conséquence de l’organisation sociale singulière de notre espèce.
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O’Dy, S. & Dessalles, J-L. (2000). Ce que parler veut dire - Interview. L’Express, 2543, 57.
Keywords: EVOLUTION
Dessalles, J-L. (2000). Language and hominid politics. In C. Knight, M. Studdert-Kennedy & J. R. Hurford (Eds.), The evolutionary emergence of language: social function and the origins of linguistic form, 62-79. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Language is the main distinctive feature of our species. Why do we feel the urge to communicate with our fellows, and why is this form of communication, characterised by relevance, unique in animal kingdom ? In this chapter, we will first stress this specificity of human communication. In a second part, using computer evolutionary simulations, we will dismiss the usual claim that human communication is a specific form of reciprocal cooperation. A Darwinian account of language requires that we find a selective advantage in the communication act. We will propose, in the third part of this chapter, that such an advantage can be found if we consider language activity in the broader frame of human social organisation. In the continuation of the ‘chimpanzee politics' studied by de Waal (1982), the ability to form large coalitions must have been an essential feature of hominid societies (Dunbar 1996). We will suggest that relevant speech originated in this context, as a way for individuals to select each other to form alliances.
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Dessalles, J-L. (2000). Two stages in the evolution of language use. In J-L. Dessalles & L. Ghadakpour (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on the Evolution of Language, 77-80. Paris: ENST.
Keywords: EVOLUTION The study of language use, usually called pragmatics, reveals that the competence of speakers is not monolithic. It can be split into two quite distinct behaviors. The first one deals with salient events; the second one deals with problematic situations. We claim that the second ability emerged long after the first one in hominid evolutionary history. A consistent scenario is that communication about salient events is what the protolanguage hypothesized by Bickerton (1990) was used for. The detection and collective processing of problematic situations can be understood as an additional ability which gave rise to modern language.
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Dessalles, J-L. & Ghadakpour, L. (1999). L’activité scientifique en tant que comportement naturel ancré sur le conflit cognitif. In , Conflits des interprétations et interprétation des conflits - Actes des journées de Rochebrune, 87-98. Paris: ENST.
Keywords: ARGUMENTATION Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (1999). Coalition factor in the evolution of non-kin altruism. Advances in Complex Systems, 2 (2), 143-172.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Animal behavior is often altruistic. In the frame of the theory of natural selection, altruism can only exist under specific conditions like kin selection or reciprocal cooperation. We show that reciprocal cooperation, which is generally invoked to explain non-kin altruism, requires very restrictive conditions to be stable. Some of these conditions are not met in many cases of altruism observed in nature. In search of another explanation of non-kin altruism, we consider Zahavis's theory of prestige. We extend it to propose a ‘political' model of altruism. We give evidence showing that non-kin altruism can evolve in the context of inter-subgroup competition. Under such circumstances, altruistic behavior can be used by individuals to advertise their quality as efficient coalition members. In this model, only abilities which positively correlate with the subgroup success can evolve into altruistic behaviors.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1998). Limits of isotropic bias in natural and artificial models of learning. In G. Ritschard, A. Berchtold, F. Duc & D. A. Zighed (Eds.), Apprentissage : Des principes naturels aux méthodes artificielles, 307-319. Paris: Hermès.
Keywords: LEARNING Bias is always present in learning systems. There is no perfect, universal, way of learning that would avoid any 'innate' predetermination. However, all biases should not be considered equivalent. Usually, it is implicitly regarded as desirable to avoid anisotropic biases when designing a learning mechanism, especially when it is intended as a cognitive model of some human or animal learning ability. Anisotropic bias necessarily involves some ad hoc a priori knowledge that severely limits the generality of the learning device.
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Dessalles, J-L. & Zalla, T. (1998). On the evolution of phenomenal consciousness. Paris: Technical Report ENST-98-D-001.
Keywords: CONSCIOUSNESS A number of concepts are included in the term 'consciousness'. We choose to concentrate here on phenomenal consciousness, the process through which we are able to experience aspects of our environment or of our physical state. We probably share this aspect of consciousness with many animals which, like us, feel pain or pleasure and experience colours, sounds, flavours, etc. Since phenomenal consciousness is a feature of some living species, we should be able to account for it in terms of natural selection. Does it have an adaptive function, or is it an epiphenomenon ? We shall give arguments to reject the second alternative. We propose that phenomenal properties of consciousness are involved in a labelling process that allows us to discriminate and to evaluate mental representations. We also discuss to what extent consciousness as such has been selected for this labelling function.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1998). Characterising innateness in artificial and natural learning. In D. Canamero & M. van Someren (Eds.), Proceedings of the European Conference on Machine Learning (ECML-98), Workshop on Learning in Humans and Machines, 6-17. Chemnitz: Technische Universität Chemnitz - CSR-98-03.
Keywords: LEARNING The purpose of this paper is to propose a refinement of the notion of innateness. If we merely identify innateness with bias, then we obtain a poor characterisation of this notion, since any learning device relies on a bias that makes it choose a given hypothesis instead of another. We show that our intuition of innateness is better captured by a characteristic of bias, related to isotropy. Generalist models of learning are shown to rely on an 'isotropic' bias, whereas the bias of specialised models, which include some specific a priori knowledge about what is to be learned, is necessarily 'anisotropic'. The so-called generalist models, however, turn out to be specialised in some way: they learn 'symmetrical' forms preferentially, and have strictly no deficiencies in their learning ability. Because some learning beings do not always show these two properties, such generalist models may be sometimes ruled out as bad candidates for cognitive modelling.
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Dessalles, J-L. & Zalla, T. (1998). Phenomenal consciousness as phenotype. In T. Metzinger (Ed.), Abstracts of the Conference ’Neural Correlates of Consciousness’, 19-20. Bremen: Hanse Wissenschaftskolleg.
Keywords: CONSCIOUSNESS The question of the epiphenomenality of consciousness can be addressed from an evolutionary perspective. If phenomenal consciousness is not an evolutionary epiphenomenon, but is it part of our phenotype, we should conclude that consciousness is not a functional or neuronal epiphenomenon.
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Auriol, J.-B. & Dessalles, J-L. (1998). Separation of logical and calculation capabilities in a problem solving task. In , Proceedings of the European Conference on Cognitive Modelling (ECCM-98), 193-194. Nottingham: University of Nottingham.
Keywords: LEARNING The distinction between declarative and procedural knowledge is a well-accepted one. However, few models offer a consistent implementation of this distinction. We present such a system, based on a strict separation of logical and calculation capabilities, designed to model aspects of human problem solving behaviour. We have tested our approach on the Tower of Hanoi task by comparing the results provided by our model with the performance of novice subjects. We also compared these results with the performance of a few other computational models. These comparisons are quite promising. Our model has been designed to be simple and psychologically plausible. Its current implementation is still basic. We expect further improvement from the joint introduction of two separate learning abilities, a logical one and a procedural one.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1998). Altruism, status, and the origin of relevance. In J. R. Hurford, M. Studdert-Kennedy & C. Knight (Eds.), Approaches to the evolution of language: Social and cognitive bases, 130-147. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Keywords: EVOLUTION We deal here with the problem of the origin of language from the point of view of pragmatics. Our aim is to show that any scenario of language origin should explain the relevance phenomenon. Why do people feel obliged to be relevant in casual conversation ? Analysing the structure of relevance leads to unexpected conclusions : relevant information is valuable, therefore language seems to be altruistic. As a consequence, from a Darwinian perspective, speakers should be rare and continually prompted for their knowledge. What we observe, however, is the exact opposite : in many situations, speakers repeatedly strive to make their point, while listeners systematically evaluate what they hear. A possible solution to this paradox is that language is not altruistic and that relevant information is traded for status. The observation of spontaneous conversation provides some evidence that supports such a hypothesis.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1998). On pragmatic competence. In , Celebration: An electronic festschrift in honor of Noam Chomsky’s 70th birthday. http://mitpress.mit.edu/celebration.
Keywords: CONVERSATIONARGUMENTATION Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (1998). Linguistic relevance in hominid politics. In C. Knight (Ed.), Abstracts of the International Conference on the Evolution of Language, 30. London: University of East London.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1998). The interplay of desire and necessity in dialogue. In J. Hulstijn & A. Nijholt (Eds.), Proccedings of the Workshop on Formal Semantics and Pragmatics of Dialogue (TWENDIAL-98) - Twente Workshop on Language Technology (TWLT-13), 89-97. Enschede: University of Twente.
Keywords: ARGUMENTATION The purpose of this paper is to suggest that many argumentative moves in casual dialogues can be explained in terms of conflicting desires and conflicting beliefs, in such a way that some of these moves may be predicted. Participants appraise the different outcomes of the conflicting situation and try to find, together, through dialogue, a solution that they consider as acceptable. We show how realistic dialogues can emerge through a simple recursive process from an initial cognitive conflict. This model is implemented in our program PARADISE which can reconstruct the argumentative moves of some real conversations.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1998). Casual conversation as logical constraint satisfaction. In J. Allwood (Ed.), Proceedings of the European Summer School in Logic, Language and Information (ESSLLI-98), Workshop on Pragmatics and Logic, 27-34. Saarbruecken: Saarbruecken Universität.
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Auriol, J.-B. & Dessalles, J-L. (1998). Error characterisation in problem solving tasks. In C. Alvegård (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Aided Learning and Instructions in Science and Engineering (CALISCE-98), 381-389. Göteborg: Chalmers University of Technology.
Keywords: LEARNING Students' errors become manifest through erroneous behaviours noticed by the teacher. However, addressing behavioural deviation alone is not sufficient to design appropriate feedback. We propose here a model of student error, based on a separation between procedural and logical knowledge. This model is tested through its ability to predict the observed behaviour of subjects solving the Tower of Hanoi problem. Using this model, we are able to propose a 'deep' error classification, based on the observation of the internal representations of the system when it generates deviant behaviours. From this characterisation of errors, we aim at designing a critiquing system. Such a system will deliver more elaborate feedback to the learner, from which we hope better pedagogical efficiency and better acceptability.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1997). L’informatique du futur : pourrons-nous recréer l’intelligence ?. Revue de l’AMOPA, 138, 19-20.
Keywords: LEARNING
Bonabeau, E. & Dessalles, J-L. (1997). Detection and emergence. Intellectica, 25 (2), 85-94.
Keywords: EMERGENCESIMPLICITY Two different conceptions of emergence are reconciled as two instances of the phenomenon of detection. In the process of comparing these two conceptions, we find that the notions of complexity and detection allow us to form a unified definition of emergence that clearly delineates the role of the observer.
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Auriol, J.-B. & Dessalles, J-L. (1997). Deux représentations des connaissances de l’élève en vue de la génération de critiques. In M. Baron, P. Mendelsohn & J-F. Nicaud (Eds.), Actes des journées ’Environnements Interactifs d’Apprentissage avec Ordinateur’ de Cachan (EIAO-97), 289-290. Paris: Hermès.
Keywords: LEARNING Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (1996). L’ordinateur génétique. Paris: Hermès.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Améliorer l'aérodynamique d'une voiture, gérer un portefeuille boursier, aiguiller des messages dans un commutateur téléphonique, tous ces problèmes techniques peuvent être résolus d'une manière biologique ! Depuis des millions d'années, la nature résout des problèmes très variés (locomotion, perception, protection, camouflage, ...) en utilisant toujours la même « méthode » : les variations génétiques et l'évolution par sélection. Les algorithmes génétiques résultent de la transposition informatique de la génétique et de l'évolution naturelles.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1996). Genetic constraints on the evolution of human communication. In J. R. Hurford (Ed.), Abstracts of the International Conference on the Evolution of Language, 18. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Download a PDF version of this paper
Bergasol, V., Dessalles, J-L., Kaplan, F., Marze, J-C. & Picault, S. (1996). X-MOISE: a logical spreadsheet to elicit didactic knowledge. In A. Diaz de Ilarraz & I. Fernandez de C. (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Aided Learning and Instructions in Science and Engineering (CALISCE-96) - Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1108, 430-432. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Keywords: LEARNING Knowledge elicitation is a critical problem in computerized learning environments that make use of a knowledge base. Fortunately, contrary to usual expertise elicitation situations, didactic scientific knowledge is quite often well formalized, and authors are used to deal with the logical organization of the domain they teach. We want to propose here an original tool, a logical spreadsheet which, if included in an authoring package, will help authors organize concepts and at the same time make both conception and maintenance of didactic knowledge bases much easier.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1996). Des machines capables d’argumenter. In J. Vivier (Ed.), Psychologie du dialogue homme-machine en langage naturel, 117-126. Paris: Europia Productions.
Keywords: ARGUMENTATION Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (1996). Pourquoi est-on, ou n’est-on pas, pertinent ?. Communication et Langages, 107, 69-80.
Keywords: CONVERSATIONARGUMENTATION Disposons-nous d'une grande liberté lorsque nous choisissons de communiquer ? Non, bien sûr, pas toujours, mais dans les situations sociales décontractées comme la conversation entre amis, personne ne pourrait prétendre que notre comportement est fortement contraint. Quoique... Il semble que nous soyons soumis, sans en avoir conscience la plupart du temps, à une contrainte extrêmement sévère : la contrainte de pertinence. Lors d'une conversation spontanée, une réplique non pertinente provoque un rejet systématique (« Pourquoi dis-tu cela ? ») plus ou moins agressif. Plus généralement, tout acte de communication se doit d'être pertinent. Un être humain qui ne produit plus d'énoncés pertinents est vite considéré comme un malade mental. D'où vient cette contrainte, comment fonctionne-t-elle, quel est son rôle ?.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1996). Pensée privée et communication sociale. In J. Stewart, J-L. Dessalles & T. Fuhs (Eds.), Du collectif au social - Actes des journées de Rochebrune, 49-59. Paris: ENST.
Keywords: CONSCIOUSNESS Le fonctionnement cognitif d'un individu et le fonctionnement de la communication sociale sont deux phénomènes soumis à des contraintes assez différentes. Il n'est donc pas évident d'imaginer un parallélisme étroit entre ces deux processus. Pourtant la question de la parenté entre la pensée et le langage a été maintes fois abordée : pensons-nous avec des mots, la pensée est-elle un langage intériorisé, le langage précède-t-il la pensée chez l'enfant, etc. ? Je propose aussi d'aborder cette question, mais sous un angle original. La caractéristique du langage qui est retenue ici n'est pas la faculté d'agencer des mots pour produire des phrases qui évoquent une signification. Si l'on regarde le langage au niveau pragmatique, en retenant seulement de la faculté langagière le fait qu'elle permet d'enchaîner des arguments pertinents, alors force est de constater, dans le détail, une forte similitude entre le déroulement du flux de la pensée et celui de la communication sociale par excellence : la conversation. En d'autres termes, je suggère que l'enchaînement des pensées obéit aux contraintes de pertinence. Si l'on accepte de considérer une telle hypothèse, alors on doit envisager la possibilité que la structure de la pensée privée, constitutive de l'intelligence des individus humains, soit phylogénétiquement une conséquence des exigences de la communication sociale.
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Stewart, J., Dessalles, J-L. & Fuhs, T. (1996). Du collectif au social - Actes des journées de Rochebrune. Paris: ENST.
Keywords: EMERGENCE
Dessalles, J-L. (1995). Generation of relevant didactic explanations by the computer running a simulation for itself. In D. Donoval (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Assisted Engineering Education (CAEE-95), 218-225. Bratislava: Slovak Technical University.
Keywords: LEARNING Conceptual knowledge is a fundamental part of what is taught to engineering students. However most efforts in C.A.L. research are devoted to helping students acquire new skills, not concepts. We describe here a research project that aims at providing the student with relevant conceptual explanations whenever these are needed. We try first to describe what a relevant explanation should be and how it could be generated. Then we consider the possibility of coupling the explanation module with a simulation program so that part of the knowledge used in explanations is extracted from the simulation.
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Theraulaz, G., Dessalles, J-L., Fuhs, T. & Stewart, J. (1995). Evolution et organisation: hasard et contraintes dans la genèse des formes collectives - Actes des journées de Rochebrune. Paris: ENST.
Keywords: EMERGENCE
Dessalles, J-L. (1995). Modèle ’autoréactif’ des sujets en situation de résolution de problème. In J. Caron-Pargue (Ed.), Actes des journée PROVERB de l’Association pour la Recherche Cognitive, ??. Paris: ENST.
Keywords: LEARNING Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (1995). Contextes problématiques et cognition. In , Actes de l’école d’été de l’Association pour la Recherche Cognitive, ??. Gers: Bonas.
Keywords: ARGUMENTATION
Bonabeau, E., Dessalles, J-L. & Grumbach, A. (1995). Characterizing emergent phenomena (1): a critical review. Revue Internationale de Systémique, 9 (3), 327-346.
Keywords: EMERGENCE Emergence seems to be a central concept in Artificial Life, Cognitive Science, and many other related domains, but the meaning of which is not really agreed upon. In this paper, we critically review some major conceptions of emergence and give some examples of phenomena that are usually considered emergent.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1995). Contraintes sur l’évolution naturelle de la communication. In G. Theraulaz, J-L. Dessalles, T. Fuhs & J. Stewart (Eds.), Evolution et organisation: hasard et contraintes dans la genèse des formes collectives - Actes des journées de Rochebrune, 113-118. Paris: ENST.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Download a PDF version of this paper
Bonabeau, E., Dessalles, J-L. & Grumbach, A. (1995). Characterizing emergent phenomena (2): a conceptual framework. Revue Internationale de Systémique, 9 (3), 347-371.
Keywords: EMERGENCE The lack of a unifying conceptual framework for representing, characterizing and dealing with emergence and emergent phenomena,led us to study the building of such a framework, based on the notions of levels of organization and of levels of detection. Information theory and concepts related to theories of complexity will help us understand the nature of emergent phenomena.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1994). Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Aided Learning and Instruction in Science and Engineering (CALISCE-94). Paris: ENST.
Keywords: LEARNING
Dessalles, J-L. (1993). Usage naturel du langage: modèle, simulation et application à l’apprentissage. In O. Boussaid, M. Brissaud & et al. (Eds.), Pluridisciplinarité dans les sciences cognitives - Actes du colloque de l’Association Internationale pour le Développement de la Recherche Interdisciplinaire (AIDRI-92), 180-193. Paris: Hermès.
Keywords: ARGUMENTATIONLEARNING Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (1993). Représentation cognitive des connaissances conceptuelles. Paris: Rapport technique ENST 93-D-011.
Keywords: MEANING
Dessalles, J-L. (1993). From I.T.S. to I.C.S.: learning with an intelligent critic, not with a tutor. In D. Ioan (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Assisted Engineering Education (CAEE-93), 9-14. Bucharest: Politehnica University.
Keywords: LEARNING Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (1993). Ancrage sans extraction de régularités: le mécanisme d’appariement symbolique. In B. Amy, B. Orsier & A. Grumbach (Eds.), Actes des journées ’Formation des symboles dans les modèles de la cognition’, 147-158. Grenoble: IMAG/LIFIA.
Keywords: LEARNING
Dessalles, J-L. & Meyers, P. (1993). Exemple d’une simulation argumentée pour l’apprentissage de Prolog. In M. Baron, R. Gras & J-F. Nicaud (Eds.), Actes des journées ’Environnements Interactifs d’Apprentissage avec Ordinateur’ de Cachan (EIAO-93), 147-157. Paris: Eyrolles.
Keywords: LEARNINGCONVERSATION L'étudiant qui cherche à acquérir un savoir-faire, ici la maîtrise de Prolog, a aussi besoin de connaissances conceptuelles. Pour répondre à ce type de besoin, nous avons développé un système qui permet à l'étudiant de simuler l'exécution de son pro¬gramme Prolog, mais qui lui offre aussi la possibilité de soumettre ce programme au re¬gard critique de SAVANT 3. Ce dernier système a été conçu pour soutenir une argumentation avec l'étudiant. Il est utilisé ici pour critiquer la justesse et l'efficacité du programme écrit par l'étudiant, ce qui permet à celui-ci de corriger d'éventuelles fautes conceptuelles. L'étudiant peut ainsi faire tourner son programme et observer son exécution, pour ensuite "discuter" de ce qu'il a écrit avec SAVANT 3. Nous abordons la question de savoir s'il est possible et souhaitable d'étendre ce qui n'est pour l'instant qu'une maquette à des situations réelles (par ex. programme Prolog complexe) et à des sujets quelconques (économie, architecture de réseau, etc.).
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Dessalles, J-L. (1993). Détection collective. In , Intelligence collective - Actes des journées de Rochebrune, 21-31. Megève: AFCET.
Keywords: EMERGENCE Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (1992). SAVANT3 : un système d’EIAO fondé sur l’explication conversationnelle. In , Actes des journées ’Explication’, 77-86. Sophia-Antipolis: INRIA.
Keywords: LEARNING Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (1992). Les aspects cognitifs de l’émergence. In B. Amy, J-J. Ducret & A. Grumbach (Eds.), Actes des journées ’Emergence dans les modèles de la cognition’, 47-59. Paris: ENST.
Keywords: EMERGENCE
Dessalles, J-L. (1992). Biomimétisme des algorithmes génétiques. In P. Bourgine (Ed.), Apprentissage, évolution, adaptation - Actes des journées de Rochebrune, 14-21. Megève: AFCET.
Keywords: EVOLUTION
Dessalles, J-L. (1992). Logical constraints on relevance in spontaneous conversation. Paris: Short version of Technical Report ENST 92-D-011.
Keywords: CONVERSATIONARGUMENTATION
Dessalles, J-L. (1992). SAVANT: how to help engineers to learn new concepts. European Journal of Engineering Education, 17 (2), 189-194.
Keywords: LEARNING Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (1992). From knowledge to conversation: a computational model of conversation. Technical Report ENST 92-D-019.
Keywords: ARGUMENTATION
Dessalles, J-L. (1992). Model-based surprise and explanation: a way to negotiate concepts. In P. Brezillon (Ed.), Proceedings of the European Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI-92), Workshop on Improving the Use of Knowledge-Based Systems with Explanations, 107-113. Paris: Université Paris VI.
Keywords: ARGUMENTATIONLEARNING We present here an analysis of a specific form of explanation that can be found in naturally occurring conversations, and that may be needed by users of KBS: explanations as answers to surprises that follow a discrepancy between expectations and reality. We describe a tutoring system based on this type of explanation: SAVANT3 systematically looks for reasons to be surprised, so that the student feels compelled to give explanations. We examine the requirements that a system has to meet to be able to produce this kind of explanation based on a preliminary surprise.
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Dessalles, J-L. & Rajman, M. (1992). Concepts and procedures in engineering education: designing specific teaching aids. In K. Kveton (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Trans-European Cooperation in Engineering Education, 11-17. Prague: Czech Technical University.
Keywords: LEARNING Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (1992). Biomimetic use of genetic algorithms. In R. Männer & B. Manderick (Eds.), Proceedings of the Conference on Parallel Problem Solving from Nature, 127-135. Amsterdam: North-Holland.
Keywords: EVOLUTION Genetic algorithms are considered as an original way to solve problems, probably because of their generality and of their "blind" nature. But GAs are also unusual since the features of many implementations (among all that could be thought of) are principally led by the biological metaphor, while efficiency measurements intervene only afterwards. We propose here to examine the relevance of these biomimetic aspects, by pointing out some fundamental similarities and divergences between GAs and the genome of living beings shaped by natural selection. One of the main differences comes from the fact that GAs rely principally on the so-called implicit parallelism, while giving to the mutation/selection mechanism the second role. Such differences could suggest new ways of employing GAs on complex problems, using complex codings and starting from nearly homogeneous populations.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1991). Conversation assisted learning: the SAVANT3 dialog module. In E. N. Forte (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Aided Learning and Instructions in Science and Engineering (CALISCE-91), 159-165. Lausanne: Presses Polytechniques et Universitaires Romandes.
Keywords: LEARNING Download a PDF version of this paper
Dessalles, J-L. (1991). SAVANT: how to help engineers learn new concepts. In J. Michel & Z. Pitra (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Assisted Engineering Education (CAEE-91), 202-207. Prague: Czech Technical University.
Keywords: LEARNING
Dessalles, J-L. (1991). French conversation at télécom. TEE (lettre interne de l’ENST), 8, 32-33.
Keywords: CONVERSATIONLEARNING
Dessalles, J-L. (1990). De l’hypermédia au dialogue socratique : l’histoire du système SAVANT. In , Actes du congrès APPLICA-90, ??. Lille: Université de Lille.
Keywords: LEARNING
Dessalles, J-L. (1990). The simulation of conversations. In T. Kohonen & F. Fogelman-Soulié (Eds.), Proceedings of the Cognitiva-90 Symposium, 483-492. Amsterdam: North Holland.
Keywords: ARGUMENTATION We try to show here how the structure of conversations can be explained by taking into account the logical knowledge that the speakers must possess to perform their replies. This study starts with the careful examination of observed excerpts taken from recorded spontaneous conversations. Next we express the minimal knowledge of each speaker by means of a special logical representation (modalities and paradoxical clauses). The PARADISE program is then able to reconstruct the dynamic chaining of replies from this static knowledge. The capabilities of PARADISE allow us to make three points. First they legitimize the use of logic and present it as an essential tool for spontaneous human speech analysis. Second, the strategies used by PARADISE give some indication of the unconscious strategies used by human speakers. And third, we mention how these results could lead to significant improvements of man-machine interface in knowledge-based systems.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1990). SAVANT3 : un enseignement des concepts assisté par ordinateur. L’Echo des Recherches, 142, 34-44.
Keywords: LEARNING On ne saurait imaginer l'enseignement du siècle prochain sans ordinateur. Certains affirment même que quelques séances où l'étudiant interagit avec la machine remplaceront bon nombre d'heures passées à écouter le monologue du professeur, à déchiffrer des livres ou à peiner sur des exercices. Pourtant, malgré la dimension de l'enjeu, personne n'est en mesure, à cette date, d'indiquer la manière de doter l'ordinateur d'une compétence suffisante pour qu'il tienne son rôle dans un tel scénario. Les principes qui sont à la base du système SAVANT3, développé à Télécom Paris, pourraient constituer un ingrédient de cet Enseignement Assisté par Ordinateur du futur.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1990). Computer assisted concept learning. In D. H. Norrie & H-W. Six (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Assisted Learning (ICCAL-90) - Lecture Notes in Computer Science 438, 175-183. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Keywords: LEARNING The present study shows that there is a qualitative difference between concept and skill acquisition, and that it may have some consequences on the design of C.A.I. courseware. We show for instance that concept learning is essentially a logical process, based on rule acquisition or modification, and that conversation (free dialogue) is best suited for concept transmission. This paper describes a mixed-initiative dialogue module which is part of the 'SAVANT 3' CAI system.
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Dessalles, J-L. (1989). L’enseignement des concepts assisté par ordinateur. Paris: Rapport Technique ENST 89-D-005.
Keywords: LEARNING
Dessalles, J-L. (1989). Théories de l’apprentissage et E.A.O.. In , non publié. .
Keywords: LEARNING
Dessalles, J-L. (1988). La logique des conversations quotidiennes. non publié.
Keywords: CONVERSATION
Dessalles, J-L. (1986). SAVANT2, ou l’audiovisuel interactif à Sup’Telecom. Les Cahiers du CEFI, 15, 46-49.
Keywords: LEARNING Ce texte retrace la nécessaire évolution qu'a connue un système d'Enseignement Assisté par Ordinateur, le système SAVANT, au cours de la dernière décennie. Ce système, expérimenté auprès des élèves de Télécom Paris, était constitué en 1980 d'une encyclopédie conceptuelle originale, que l'on qualifierait maintenant d'hypertexte (SAVANT 1). Des considérations à la fois techniques et pédagogiques ont conduit en 1985 à la mise au point du premier serveur multimédia utilisé en France pour l'enseignement: SAVANT 2. L'analyse des succès de ces deux systèmes, mais aussi de leurs insuffisances, nous ont amenés en 1988 à concevoir SAVANT3, un système capable de soutenir une conversation avec l'élève et de lui offrir des répliques pertinentes.
Dessalles, J-L. (1985). Stratégies naturelles d’acquisition des concepts et applications E.A.O.. In , Actes du colloque Cognitiva-85, 713-719. Paris: CESTA.
Keywords: CONVERSATION
Dessalles, J-L. (1984). SAVANT: l’enseignement assisté par télématique dans la formation des ingénieurs de l’ENST. L’Echo des Recherches, 117, 67-76.
Keywords: LEARNING
Dessalles, J-L. (1984). Présentation non linéaire de l’information didactique grâce au vidéotex. In , Actes du congrès ’Les grandes écoles et la télématique’, IV 1.2.3.1-2. Brest: ENST de Bretagne.
Keywords: LEARNING
Dessalles, J-L. (1984). Une troisième voie pour l’assistance à l’enseignement supérieur : SAVANT. In , Actes du forum ’Enseignement Assisté par Ordinateur’ (EAO-84), 35. Lyon: ESC de Lyon.
Keywords: LEARNING
