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In this paper I’m concerned with the functional role of singular terms and how it can be used to construct a pragmatist theory of what it takes to understand reference. I argue that there are, at least, two distinct functions which singular terms fulfil, what I will call the talking-about and picking-out functions respectively. Both are, in one sense, ways that a term aids our understanding by spe

Adaptive dynamical networks (ADNs) describe systems in which the states of the network nodes and the network structure itself co-evolve over time. This interplay of two coupled dynamical processes underlies a wide range of natural and technological phenomena, such as neural plasticity, learning, and opinion formation. The inherently co-evolutionary nature of ADNs poses significant challenges to ma

We show how the endowment effect can be interpreted in terms of ambiguity aversion. Agents take status quo as their reference point, relative to which they evaluate potential trades. The value of exchanged goods is ambiguous, represented by a set of probability distributions over possible values. Agents are ambiguity averse, modeled as maxmin expected utility maximisers. This characteristic leads

Deep learning has shown promise for gaze estimation in Virtual Reality (VR) and other head-mounted applications, but such models are hard to train due to lack of available data. Here we introduce a novel method to train neural networks for gaze estimation using synthetic images that model the light distributions captured in a P-CR setup. We tested our model on a dataset of real eye images from a V

Ball-rolling dung beetles are known to integrate multiple cues in order to facilitate their straight-line orientation behaviour. Recent work has suggested that orientation cues are integrated according to a vector sum, that is, compass cues are represented by vectors and summed to give a combined orientation estimate. Further, cue weight (vector magnitude) appears to be set according to cue reliab

Pupil-corneal reflection (P-CR) eye tracking has gained a prominent role in studying dog visual cognition, despite methodological challenges that often lead to lower-quality data than when recording from humans. In the current study, we investigated if and how the morphology of dogs might interfere with tracking of P-CR systems, and to what extent such interference, possibly in combination with do

Educational software based on teachable agents has repeatedly proven to have positive effects on students’ learning outcomes. The strongest effects have been shown for low-performers. A number of mechanisms have been proposed to explore this outcome, in particular mechanisms that involve attributions of social agency to teachable agents. Our study examined whether an expression of high versus low

This thesis addresses how verbal comprehension is affected by seeing the speaker and in particular when the speaker is an animated virtual speaker. Two people visually co-present – one talking and the other listening, trying to comprehend what is said – is a central and critical scenario whether one is interested in human cognition, communication or learning. Papers I & II are focused on the e

Although teachers’ well-being and vocal health are affected by noise, research on classroom sound environment from the teachers’ perspective is scarce. This study investigated the relationship between teachers’ well-being and classroom acoustics. The possible influence of teachers’ age, experience, teaching grade and class size on the relationship was also investigated. In this study, well-being r

In the primary school classroom, children are exposed to multiple factors that combine to create adverse conditions for listening to and understanding what the teacher is saying. Despite the ubiquity of these conditions, there is little knowledge concerning the way in which various factors combine to influence listening comprehension and the effortfulness of listening. The aim of the present study

Micro-society experimental setups are increasingly used to infer aspects of human behavioural evolution. A key part of human society today is our dependence on, and use of, technology–whether simple (such as a knife) or complex (such as the technology that underpins AI). Previously, two groups of researchers used an abstracted-wheel experiment to explore the evolution of human technical behaviour,

This article takes a cognitive approach to natural concepts. The aim is to introduce criteria that are evaluated with respect to how they support the cognitive economy of humans when using concepts in reasoning and communicating with them. I first present the theory of conceptual spaces as a tool for expressing the criteria. Then I introduce the central idea that natural concepts correspond to con

Purpose: People with acquired neurogenic Communication Disorders (PwCD) experience reduced satisfaction in healthcare environments, possibly relating to communication difficulties. Communication Partner Training might improve communication success. The purpose of the scoping review was to map the literature about educational experiences in teaching communication strategies to healthcare students (

Studying the behavior of multiple participants using networked eye-tracking setups is of increasing interest to researchers. However, to conduct such studies, researchers have had to create complicated ad hoc solutions for streaming gaze over a local network. Here we present TittaLSL, a toolbox that enables creating networked multi-participant experiments using Tobii eye trackers with minimal prog

Choice blindness (failure to notice when our choices are switched unexpectedly) suggests people are often unaware of reasons underlying their intentions/preferences. Some argue, however, that research revealing choice blindness simply reflects social-demand characteristics in participant-experimenter interactions. To address this, we compared autistic adults (a population less susceptible to socia

A commonly held assumption is that demonstration and pantomime differ from ordinary action in that the movements are slowed down and exaggerated to be better understood by intended receivers. This claim has, however, been based on meagre empirical support. This article provides direct evidence that the different functional demands of demonstration and pantomime result in motion characteristics tha