Cognitive Simplification Operations Improve Text Simplification
Eytan Chamovitz, Omri Abend · 2022
Text Simplification (TS) is the task of converting a text into a form that is easier to read while maintaining the meaning of the original text.A sub-task of TS is Cognitive Simplification (CS), converting text to a form that is readily understood by people with cognitive disabilities without rendering it childish or simplistic.This sub-task has yet to be explored with neural methods in NLP, and resources for it are scarcely available.In this paper, we present a method for incorporating knowledge from the cognitive accessibility domain into a TS model, by introducing an inductive bias regarding what simplification operations to use.We show that by adding this inductive bias to a TS-trained model, it is able to adapt better to CS without ever seeing CS data, and outperform a baseline model on a traditional TS benchmark.In addition, we provide a novel test dataset for CS, and analyze the differences between CS corpora and existing TS corpora, in terms of how simplification operations are applied. Original Source:Now, normally during Disability Pride Month, we're showcasing our disability pride through various parades and events throughout the country.Original Target:Most years, during Disability Pride Month we have parades and events all over the United States to show how proud we are.Operations: Modified Source T5: Now, normally during Disability Pride Month, we're showcasing our disability pride through various parades and events throughout the country.Modified Target T5: Most years, during Disability Pride Month we have parades and events all over the United States to show how proud we are.Modified Source BART: Now, normally during Disability Pride Month, we're showcasing our disability pride through various parades and events throughout the country.Modified Target BART: Most years, during Disability Pride Month we