Abstract
Pairs of subjects interacted in a problem-solving task which required them to communicate about ambiguous figures. The length of the reference phrase for each figure was calculated. A negative relationship was found between the frequency with which a figure was referred to and the mean length of its reference phrase.
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Zipf, G. K. The psycho-biology of language. B ston: Houghton Mifflin, 1935.
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We gratefully acknowledge the aid of Mrs. Freda Zeiter, who devised the figures used in this experiment, and the technical advice and comments of P. D. Bricker.
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Krauss, R.M., Weinheimer, S. Changes in reference phrases as a function of frequency of usage in social interaction: a preliminary study. Psychon Sci 1, 113–114 (1964). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03342817
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03342817