Contextually variable signals can be functionally referential. (February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Scarantino, Andrea; Clay, Zanna
• Is Part Of: Animal behaviour. Volume 100(2015)
• Page Start: e1
• Page End: e8
• Publication Date: 2015-02
• Subjects: animal communication -- animal signal -- functional reference -- information -- information transmission -- language -- meaning; Animal behavior -- Periodicals; 591.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.08.017
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-3472

Abstract

Highlights: We offer a new definition of functional reference that highlights the role of contextual cues. The same signal can functionally refer to different things depending on contextual cues. Signals can be weakly correlated with what they functionally refer to. We distinguish two notions of meaning: meaning as correlation and meaning as reference. We compare and contrast our account with Wheeler and Fischer's (2012) meaning-based proposal.