4.34 Derived Stimulus Relations and Generativity
Derived stimulus relations also provide a model for understanding the generativity of language. Perhaps the reason we can generate and understand an infinite number of meaningful sentences is that we can derive an infinite number of relations between words, events, and meanings.
| Symbolism | Generativity |
|---|---|
| Words “refer” to other things What a word “refers” to is often its meaning | We can create and understand an infinite number of meaningful sentences |
Again, what a marvelous thing to the human brain does!