Effects of Limiting Memory Capacity on the Behaviour of Exemplar Dynamics
This addresses a gap in exemplar dynamics for linguistics by examining memory constraints, but it is incremental as it builds on existing models with a simplified approach.
The study investigated how limiting memory capacity in exemplar models affects language change, specifically category extinction, and found that while all but one sound category always become extinct regardless of memory limits, computer simulations showed that the number of stored memories alters the speed of extinction.
Exemplar models are a popular class of models used to describe language change. Here we study how limiting the memory capacity of an individual in these models affects the system's behaviour. In particular we demonstrate the effect this change has on the extinction of categories. Previous work in exemplar dynamics has not addressed this question. In order to investigate this, we will inspect a simplified exemplar model. We will prove for the simplified model that all the sound categories but one will always become extinct, whether memory storage is limited or not. However, computer simulations show that changing the number of stored memories alters how fast categories become extinct.