Frames at the Interface of Language and Cognition

Abstract

This article reviews the work on frames in the last decade by a Düsseldorf research group. The research is based on Barsalou's notion of frames and the hypothesis that the frame is the general format of categorization in human cognition. The Düsseldorf frame group developed formal definitions and interpretations of Barsalou frames and applied the theory in linguistics, philosophy, and psychology. This review focuses on applications of the theory in semantics. The Düsseldorf approach grounds the analysis of composition in deep decomposition of lexical meanings with frames. The basic mechanism of composition is unification, which has deep repercussions on semantic theory and practice: Composition produces structured meanings and is not necessarily deterministic. The interaction of semantic and world knowledge can be modeled in an overall frame model across levels of linguistic analysis. The review concludes with a brief report on the development of hyperframes for dynamic verbs and for cascades, a model for multilevel categorization of action.