Communication as Layered Architecture: Core Processing and Empathic Modulation

Authors

Griselda Poe, CUNY Lehman CollegeFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 2-1-2026

Abstract

This paper proposes a structural re-description of communication by separating Core processing from its social interface. Using the developmental sequence of Large Language Models (LLMs) as an external reference point, a layered architecture is identified, consisting of a foundational Core processing layer and a subsequent Empathic modulation layer.

The investigation begins with the observation that empathic signaling can obstruct rather than facilitate interaction for certain individuals. By examining the emergence of Base AI—Core processing prior to empathic adjustment—it is demonstrated that coherent, constraint-preserving interaction is possible without affective resonance.

Through this framework, existing cognitive theories and observed "deficits" are repositioned. What has been categorized as a lack of communication ability is, in many cases, the structural foregrounding of Core processing. This shift in perspective moves the understanding of atypical cognition from a model of deficiency to a model of architectural diversity. The paper concludes that communication is fundamentally the preservation of structural integrity across an exchange, while Empathic modulation is an additional layer not necessary for minimal communication.

Comments

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19139502 

The Core-Modulation Architecture (CMA): A Structural Overview of a 14-Paper Research Program

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/le_pubs/477/