The Double R Theory of Language Comprehension

Abstract

Abstract : Double R Grammar is a linguistic theory of the grammatical encoding and integration of referential and relational meaning in English. Double R Grammar is fundamentally a Cognitive Linguistic theory and the use of the term grammar encompasses both meaning and structure as it does in Cognitive Grammar (also known as Cognitive Semantics). This technical report explicates the basic principles and assumptions of Double R Grammar and compares Double R Grammar to Chomsky's X-Bar Theory as well as Langacker's Cognitive Linguistic conception of nominals and clauses. Double R Process is a psycholinguistic theory of the processing of English text into Double R Grammar based representations. Double R Process is a highly interactive, bottom-up, lexically driven theory of language processing that is highly compatible with Kintsch's Construction-Integration Theory, with which Double R Process is compared. Double R Theory is used to refer generally to Double R Grammar and Double R Process. Double R Model is a computational psycholinguistic implementation of Double R Theory using the Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational (ACT-R) cognitive architecture and modeling environment. Double R Model is intended to validate the representation and processing commitments of Double R Theory and to form the basis for the development of large-scale, functional language processing systems. After presenting a description of ACT-R, the current implementation of Double R Model in ACT-R is explored via the description of the steps involved in the processing of a sample text.