Warming Up… More about sensors and perception

Warming Up…More about sensors and perception 05:47 Verbal Communication

Focus Questions • What is the relationship between language and thought? • How do labels affect meaning? • What are the implications of recognizing that language is a process? • How do rules guide communication? • How does punctuation influence the meaning of communication? Verbal Communication

Language and Meaning • Language (words) in the human world • “The limits of my language are the limits of my world” by Ludwig Wittgenstein 維根斯坦 • Language creates reality (or vice versa) • 愛斯基摩人有30多種稱呼”雪”的命名 • P.98 F.Y.I • Domestic partners; Birth mother; Date rape; Blended family • 用英文點咖啡; 酒、茶、海鮮… • 中英文裡親屬、親戚的稱謂: • 姑媽、姨婆、堂哥、表弟… • 動畫：歐洲人 vs. 義大利人 (義大利人算不算歐洲人？) Verbal Communication

Features of Language (Symbols) • Arbitrary 任意性 • Not intrinsically connected to what is represented; no natural relationship • Commonly shared & used in a society; meaning changes over time • Ambiguous 模糊性 • No precise, clear-cut meanings; within a range of meaning but with degrees of uncertainty • Specific to contexts, individual experience; relationships • Abstract 抽象性 • Not concrete or tangible • Various abstractness (degrees away from external, objective phenomenon) e.g, “reading matter” 讀物 Verbal Communication

火星文︰中翻中 原文明天要開56班親會，想必會來一堆歐氏宗親會的人。 morning call的成績出來了，爐主、顧爐、扛爐的還是那幾個宮本美代子的同學，要是我考這種成績，我媽一定AKS，罵我乾脆史努比算了。翻譯明天要開無聊的班親會，想必會來一堆歐吉桑和歐巴桑。模擬考的成績出來了，倒數一二三名還是那幾個根本沒事做（台語：根本沒代誌）的同學，要是我考這種成績，我媽一定會氣死（台語），罵我乾脆死在路邊算了。 Verbal Communication

Symbols and Meaning • Ladder of Abstraction (Korzybski & Hayakawa) • Steps away from observed phenomenon • See Figure 4.1 (page 103) (also next slide) • Overgeneralization • General language to describe groups of people • Perceptions (recall) consistent with labels used • Labels predispose selective perception (刻板印象) • 外延意義Denotationvs. 內涵意義Connotation • Denotation: direct, specific, explicit meaning • Connotation: implied, suggested, apart from explicit meaning Verbal Communication

8 “Cow”抽象化階梯 Wealth: characteristics of “Bessie” are left out. 7 Asset: all valuable things 6 Farm assets: in common with other salable items on the farm 5 Livestock: referring to characteristics in common with chicken, goats.. 4 Cow: common characteristics; not peculiar to specific ones 3 “Bessie”: the name we give to the object (cow) 2 Cow: not the word, but the object experience 1 Cow: consists of atoms, electronics…etc; scientific reference Verbal Communication

Denotationvs. Connotation “紅豆”生南國…..此物最相思 (王維) “紅豆”、大紅豆、芋頭… (阿雅) 一顆”紅豆”(鳳飛飛) “紅豆”女之戀 (韓劇) “紅豆” (王菲) “紅豆”冰 (蚊蟲/皮膚炎) • 一顆『紅蛋』 (江蕙) • 後山不可再變『深山』 (柯賜海) Verbal Communication

Principles of Communication • Interpretation creates meaning • Active, creative process of making sense • Process of constructing meaning • Brute facts vs. Institutional facts • Brute fact: objective, concrete phenomena (e.g., huddling in football) • Institutional fact: interpreted meaning of brute fact (players planning the next step) • Communication is guided by rules (p. 106: task-to-do) • Rule learning through socialization • Regulative rules: specify when, how, where, with whom… (e.g., interruption, showing affection,..) • Constitutive rules: define meaning (e.g., 加油!) Verbal Communication

Principles of Communication (continued) • Punctuation affects meaning • Marks a flow of activity into meaning units • Punctuation is our perception of when interaction begins and ends. • Determines initiation, interaction, invitation, participation… • In personal relationships: demand-withdraw pattern (Figure 4.2, p. 108)-----no agreement on ending communication Verbal Communication

Six Symbolic Abilities • Language defines phenomena • Labeling (e.g., travel fund, emergency fund) • Totalizing: (e.g.,巴黎浪漫之都; 海軍陸戰隊員) • One label represents a person totally; ignoring other aspects • Spotlighting an aspect; stereotyping: describing with group characteristics • Language evaluates phenomena (not neutral) • Symbols are loaded with ‘value’ • Loaded language (長者-老頭子) • Language organizes experiences • Categories that we place people (資深-受尊重?或快被資遣了?) Verbal Communication

Symbolic Abilities (2) • Language allows hypothetical thinking • Visions of the future (我的志願…) • Language allows self-reflection • Mead (1934) • I : spontaneous, creative self • Me: socially conscious self • 佛洛依德︰ • id 本我 – unconscious & instinctive • ego 自我 – between id and superego • superego 超我 – of moral and social rules; ideal; perfection Verbal Communication

Symbolic Abilities (3) • Language defines relationships & interaction (職業尊稱、輩份、階級) • Three dimensions of relationship-level meaning • Responsiveness: question & statements (responses, feedback) • Liking: When we say “I care about you.” • Power: Establishing control Verbal Communication

Guidelines for Verbal Comm. • Engage in person-centered communication • Be conscious of levels of abstraction • Qualify language • Avoid overgeneralization • Avoid static evaluation: She ‘is’ selfish • Indexing technique: evaluation only applies to specific times, circumstances • Own your feelings and thoughts: Claim feelings but not blame others for that • You vs. I language (p. 120) (Note: Chinese cultural & syntax differences) Verbal Communication

Warming Up… More about sensors and perception