Karttunen's Theory

Definition

Karttunen's Theory refers to a framework for understanding presuppositions in natural language, focusing on how they project in various contexts and how listeners accommodate them. It emphasizes that when a speaker makes an assertion that carries presuppositions, these assumptions must be recognized and integrated by the listener for effective communication. The theory provides insights into the nuances of meaning that arise when statements are made in conversation, especially regarding how context influences interpretation.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Karttunen's Theory highlights that presuppositions can be triggered by specific linguistic expressions, such as definite descriptions or factive verbs.
2. The theory distinguishes between projective and non-projective presuppositions, explaining how some presuppositions can survive within different sentence structures while others cannot.
3. Accommodation is crucial in Karttunen's framework, as it allows listeners to modify their mental state in response to new information presented through presuppositional statements.
4. Karttunen's insights also apply to conversational implicatures, showing the interplay between what is said explicitly and what is implied or assumed in communication.
5. The theory has significant implications for understanding natural language processing and the development of algorithms that need to account for human-like interpretation of language.

Review Questions

• How does Karttunen's Theory help explain the relationship between presupposition and accommodation in conversation?
  • Karttunen's Theory illustrates that when a speaker makes an assertion with presuppositions, the listener must accommodate these assumptions to fully understand the message. This interaction is crucial for effective communication, as it shows how listeners adjust their mental models to include new information provided by the speaker. By understanding this process, we can better analyze conversational dynamics and the underlying assumptions that shape discourse.
• Compare and contrast projective and non-projective presuppositions as described in Karttunen's Theory.
  • In Karttunen's Theory, projective presuppositions are those that remain intact regardless of how they are embedded within a sentence, while non-projective presuppositions may disappear depending on their syntactic context. For instance, using a definite description might create a projective presupposition that remains even in complex sentences. This distinction is important as it highlights the varying degrees of stability that different types of presuppositions have within language, impacting how meaning is conveyed in conversation.
• Evaluate the impact of Karttunen's Theory on modern natural language processing technologies.
  • Karttunen's Theory significantly influences natural language processing (NLP) by providing insights into how humans interpret language with presuppositions and accommodations. Understanding these concepts allows developers to create more sophisticated algorithms that mimic human-like comprehension of language nuances. As NLP systems integrate principles from Karttunen's Theory, they can improve tasks like sentiment analysis and context-aware dialogue systems, leading to more accurate and meaningful interactions between humans and machines.

Related terms

Presupposition: An implicit assumption about the world or background belief relating to an utterance that must hold true for the utterance to be considered appropriate.

Accommodation: The process by which a listener adjusts their beliefs or assumptions to align with the presuppositions introduced by a speaker's utterance.

Projection: The phenomenon where presuppositions remain intact even when embedded in various syntactic structures, affecting how meaning is conveyed.