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Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · 28d

Yes 100%!! Children are the most prototypical language learners in RL, which makes their cognitive constraints & learning biases super relevant for cultural evolution. We should replicate adult findings with children in order to validate / understand them better, e.g., share.google/6oq9RqdIzciR...

Systematicity, but not compositionality: Examining the emergence of linguistic structure in children and adults using iterated learning

Recent work suggests that cultural transmission can lead to the emergence of linguistic structure as speakers’ weak individual biases become amplified…

share.google

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Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · 28d

Absolutely 🙈🥲

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Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · 28d

Haha fair enough, no worries! 😊 I think the important take-home message is that we all share Lauren's frustration that knowledge from one domain is often not easily transferred and/or recognized by folks in another domain. Hopefully this paper helps to build better bridges between our communities!

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Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · 29d

Indeed. This is (sadly) not as entrenched in developmental psychology, formal linguistics, and even in the EvoLang community. We tried to do justice to scholars who have been arguing this for years by presenting their arguments in opposition to these misconceptions. See also
bsky.app/profile/limo...

Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · 29d

Indeed, in cases where the field is split it's always hard to strike a balance between "this is novel, pay attention" to "this is trivial and known". While many of our own-crowd luckily share our position, many others sadly don't (inc non-experts and the public, who often believe this misconception)

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Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · 29d

Our goal was therefore to engage with the classic & contemporary arguments given by folks in the child-innovator camp, specifically by reviewing (and crediting!) all those who worked hard to dispute their claims over the years. Hope that gives some clarity, alongside the obvious press release 'buzz'

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Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · 29d

Indeed, in cases where the field is split it's always hard to strike a balance between "this is novel, pay attention" to "this is trivial and known". While many of our own-crowd luckily share our position, many others sadly don't (inc non-experts and the public, who often believe this misconception)

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Reposted by Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄

Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics @mpi-nl.bsky.social · Sep 9

For decades, linguists assumed kids drive language change through ‘imperfect’ learning. New research by Raviv, Blasi & Kempe (Psychological Review) show that instead, adolescents and young adults are more likely to spread, normalize, and cement linguistic shifts. www.mpi.nl/news/young-c...

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Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · Sep 9

Read more here:

www.mpi.nl/news/young-c...

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Reposted by Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄

Abertay University @abertayuni.bsky.social · Sep 9

💡 The idea that children drive language change is widely accepted — but does it hold up?

New research co-authored by Dr Vera Kempe challenges this view, showing little evidence that child-led innovations spread through communities.

Read more: www.mpi.nl/publications...

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Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · Sep 9

Super proud of this work and very grateful for all the amazing people who provided valuable feedback along the way @remivantrijp.bsky.social @sheinalew.bsky.social @cedricboeckx.bsky.social @inbalarnon.bsky.social ❤️❤️❤️🙏

Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics @mpi-nl.bsky.social · Sep 9

Children are not the main agents of language change. New paper by @limorraviv.bsky.social @damianblasi.bsky.social & @vkempe.bsky.social.
psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/...
www.mpi.nl/publications...

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Reposted by Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄

Michael Erard @michaelerard.bsky.social · Sep 9

The de-neonatizing of linguistics takes another step forward

Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics @mpi-nl.bsky.social · Sep 9

Children are not the main agents of language change. New paper by @limorraviv.bsky.social @damianblasi.bsky.social & @vkempe.bsky.social.
psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/...
www.mpi.nl/publications...

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Reposted by Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄

Vera Kempe @vkempe.bsky.social · Sep 9

So rewarding to work with these two brilliant people to check whether the existing evidence supports the persistent claim that children's simplifying errors drive language change. It doesn't. psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d...
@limorraviv.bsky.social @damianblasi.bsky.social

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Reposted by Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄

Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics @mpi-nl.bsky.social · Sep 9

Children are not the main agents of language change. New paper by @limorraviv.bsky.social @damianblasi.bsky.social & @vkempe.bsky.social.
psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/...
www.mpi.nl/publications...

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Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · Aug 26

New paper with the brilliant @vkempe.bsky.social looking at potential age differences in the interpretation and conventionalization of a recently introduced semiotic system: emojis! 😍 Unlike popular belief, we see that young & older folks mostly agree on what face emojis mean (with some exceptions)!

Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics @mpi-nl.bsky.social · Aug 26

No evidence for generational differences in the conventionalisation of face emojis. New paper by Kempe and @limorraviv.bsky.social.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...

Redirecting

doi.org

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Reposted by Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄

Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics @mpi-nl.bsky.social · Aug 26

No evidence for generational differences in the conventionalisation of face emojis. New paper by Kempe and @limorraviv.bsky.social.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...

Redirecting

doi.org

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Reposted by Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄

Gary Lupyan @glupyan.bsky.social · Aug 19

I'm teaching a grad seminar this Fall on the Cognitive Science of LLMs focusing on how they can act to stress test cognitive theories. If you have any readings that scream *yes this one!!* please send them my way!

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Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · Aug 18

Based on the thesis of my brilliant student Lucia from @ccniuofg.bsky.social @uofglasgow.bsky.social, we see that gendered language (Italian) can be a painful source of non affirmation for non binary people. We also make some suggestions for how to improve their experiences and create safer spaces 🙏

Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics @mpi-nl.bsky.social · Aug 18

The inescapable cage of a man and a woman: Experiences of non-binary people with gender identity (non-)affirmation in the context of a gendered language.
New paper by Feketova and @limorraviv.bsky.social. doi.org/10.1080/2689....

The inescapable cage of a man and a woman: Experiences of non-binary people with gender identity (non-)affirmation in the context of a gendered language

Experiencing a lack of identity verification is an issue which most of the transgender community struggles with. Non-binary people’s daily struggle for affirmation may be even more difficult in a b...

doi.org

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Reposted by Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄

Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics @mpi-nl.bsky.social · Aug 18

The inescapable cage of a man and a woman: Experiences of non-binary people with gender identity (non-)affirmation in the context of a gendered language.
New paper by Feketova and @limorraviv.bsky.social. doi.org/10.1080/2689....

The inescapable cage of a man and a woman: Experiences of non-binary people with gender identity (non-)affirmation in the context of a gendered language

Experiencing a lack of identity verification is an issue which most of the transgender community struggles with. Non-binary people’s daily struggle for affirmation may be even more difficult in a b...

doi.org

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Reposted by Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄

evolangconf.bsky.social @evolangconf.bsky.social · Aug 7

Call for papers for Evolang 2026 is now posted! evolang2026.org. Workshop proposals due Sept 22nd. Paper submissions October 26th. Evolang is interdisciplinarity at its best. We hope to see you in Plovdiv!!

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Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · Aug 16

Did you see it got updated? Now all the info is available :)

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Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · Aug 2

Uhh will you be joining next year?? 😊 I think the local organizers are still working on this, but tbh I'm not sure (I couldn't be a part of the scientific committee this year, sadly). Perhaps @glupyan.bsky.social has more info? :)

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Reposted by Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄

William Russell @robotowilliam.bsky.social · Jul 17

This sounds like a really cool project! If only I had the required experience I would jump at it 🤩

Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · Jul 14

I am advertising 2 positions in language evolution with my group at ‪‪@dondersinst.bsky.social:
📢 Fully-funded PhD position (Robotics/AI 🤖) www.ru.nl/en/working-a...
📢 Postdoc position (Virtual Reality 🎮)
www.ru.nl/en/working-a...
Deadline for applications is August 14th. Please RT! :)

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Reposted by Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄

Ehud @duhe.bsky.social · Jul 14

A not to be missed opportunity.

Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · Jul 14

I am advertising 2 positions in language evolution with my group at ‪‪@dondersinst.bsky.social:
📢 Fully-funded PhD position (Robotics/AI 🤖) www.ru.nl/en/working-a...
📢 Postdoc position (Virtual Reality 🎮)
www.ru.nl/en/working-a...
Deadline for applications is August 14th. Please RT! :)

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Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄 @limorraviv.bsky.social · Jul 14

In the field of language evolution, this would be achieved by experimental semiotics (communication games). See review here: osf.io/preprints/os...

OSF

osf.io

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Reposted by Limor Raviv 🐘🤗🦒🍄🦄

Simon Kirby @simonkirby.bsky.social · Jul 8

My first ever book cover! Made with maths, pencil, drawing robot, and photographic negative. Thank you @limorraviv.bsky.social and @cedricboeckx.bsky.social for asking me to do it, and for the lovely handwritten dedication inside 😊

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