SEMANTIC NET
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2997 ▶ |
| Object type | Epistemology, ontology or semantics |
A network of meaning bearing elements (or nodes) interconnected through specific (i.e. specified and oriented) links.
Any language is a semantic net. The systemic and cybernetic language, object of this work, is an example.
M. BODEN makes some interesting observations: “The concept of semantic net originated in psychology. It depicts human memory as an associative system wherein each idea can lead to many other relevant ideas, — and even to 'irrelevant' ideas, linked to the first by mere coincidence… A semantic net consists of nodes and links. The nodes stand for specific ideas, while the links — whereby one idea can be accessed from another — represent various types of mental connections… The 'meaning' of an idea represented within a semantic net is a function of its place in the system. It involves not only the node specifically labelled for the idea in question (violet, perhaps) but also the nodes that can be reached, directly or indirectly, from that node… Adding a new node will implicitly affect the meaning of all the existing ones…” (1990, p.95-6).
The semantic net model represents a conceptual space and is closely related to connectionism which “associative memory”, grounded in both meaning and context“ (p.119).