Natural language oral communication in humans under stress. Linguistic cognitive coping strategies for enrichment of artificial intelligence

Anikushina V, Taratukhin V, Von Stutterheim C

Abstract

Learning computer systems to recognize natural human speech is significantly easier and more effective when the cognitive process in humans is understood. Psycholinguistics, as an interdisciplinary study of language and cognition, is extremely helpful in this respect. The aim of this study is to understand which linguistic coping strategies people develop under stress, due to their physiological and psychological structure. Oral communication in a foreign language (English), of people with different backgrounds, will be examined under an isolation stressor. It is expected that the physiological parameters (adrenaline and noradrenaline blood-level amounts) and psychological parameters (anxiety tendencies) influence the linguistic performance in a stressful situation. Subjects who share a similar organization of the central nervous system and psychological structure, may also share similarities in cognition regarding language production in a foreign language. The value of the study for artificial intelligence research is applicable to natural language systems, i.e. by helping program a more precise speech recognizing system.

Keywords
cognitive linguistics; natural language; AI theory