معرفی
Hannah Cornish is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Edinburgh, affiliated with the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences. Her research focuses on the cultural evolution of language and communication systems, particularly examining how structural complexity and adaptive design emerge through processes like iterated learning and social interaction. She employs experimental methods to study laboratory-based models of language evolution, exploring topics such as sequence memory constraints, metaphor-driven linguistic changes, and the dynamics of cumulative cultural transmission.
Her work bridges linguistics, cognitive science, and evolutionary biology, with a focus on understanding how human communication systems develop without centralized design. Notable contributions include studies on the emergence of tense/aspect systems, the role of generation turnover in linguistic adaptation, and the interplay between compression and communication efficiency in evolving languages.
Cornish’s articles consistently emphasize empirical approaches to uncovering the mechanisms behind language structure, often highlighting the importance of cognitive constraints and cultural dynamics. Her research has been published in venues like Evolution of Language and experimental linguistics journals, reflecting her interdisciplinary engagement with evolutionary linguistics and cognitive science.
