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Cited by 440Categorization, perception, and languageLanguage and cultural evolutionEmbodied and Extended Cognition

Coordinating perceptually grounded categories through language: A case study for colour

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steels, luc, belpaeme, tony·2005·Behavioral and Brain Sciences
DOI 10.1017/s0140525x05000087
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Abstract

this article proposes a number of models to examine through which mechanisms a population of autonomous agents could arrive at a repertoire of perceptually grounded categories that is sufficiently shared to allow successful communication. the models are inspired by the main approaches to human categorisation being discussed in the literature: nativism, empiricism, and culturalism. colour is taken as a case study. although we take no stance on which position is to be accepted as final truth with respect to human categorisation and naming, we do point to theoretical constraints that make each position more or less likely and we make clear suggestions on what the best engineering solution would be. specifically, we argue that the collective choice of a shared repertoire must integrate multiple constraints, including constraints coming from communication.

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  • Game-theoretic approaches to language evolution emphasize utility maximization.

    “One common answer to this question stems from game-theoretic approaches of language evolution that emphasize utility maximization (Chaabouni, Strub, et al., 2021;Steels & Belpaeme, 2005;Still & Precup, 2012).”

    From Towards Human-Like Emergent Communication via Utility, Informativeness, and Complexity (2025) · cites this paper as Steels & Belpaeme, 2005

    Section 2.1 (p. 13) applies evolutionary game theory to language games and says agents adapt after interactions to become more successful. Section 4.1 (p. 34) measures communicative success, but the paper does not describe its agents as maximizing utility or establish that game-theoretic approaches generally emphasize utility maximization. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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Authors
steels, L., & belpaeme, T.
Affiliations
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (BE)
Corresponding author
  • steels, luc
  • belpaeme, tony
ORCID
Venue
Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2005-08
Volume
28
Issue
4
Pages
469-489
ISSN
  • 0140-525X (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-1825
DOI
10.1017/s0140525x05000087
OpenAlex
W2166188321
Cited by
440
References
11
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 32
FWCI
37.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Behavioral and Brain Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion)
  • DIGITAL.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • VUBIR (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Categorization, perception, and language
  • Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Language and cultural evolution
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Embodied and Extended Cognition
Keywords
color classification, language acquisition, nativism, empiricism, culturalism, communication, autonomous agents, color naming
MeSH terms
Classification, Color, Color Perception, Communication, Computer Simulation, Culture, Games, Experimental, Humans, Language, Models, Genetic, Models, Psychological, Computational Biology

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