Pragmatics Flashcards
Examples of non-literal language
Irony/sarcasm Understatement Overstatement Metaphor Idioms Slang
What is non-literal language?
Often what we say is different from what we mean
Why do we use overstatements?
we overstate it in a way to state how we feel about it
What do we use slang?
Often used by younger people to exclude older people
Why do we use understatements?
Understate what we really mean to be polite; but, your intentions are clear
Why do we use indirect speech acts?
To show politeness; depends on who you’re talking to
Continuum of indirect speech acts:
Less polite (best friends/siblings) –> acquaintances –> strangers –> most polite (boss/professors)
Serial Model of Non-Literal Language Processing
Serial view - meanings are processed one at a time; the literal meaning is always processed first
Process:
1. Analyze literal meaning
2. Find literal meaning defective
3. Seek another interpretation using context and other know meanings
Parallel Model of Non-Literal Language Processing
Parallel view - all meanings are processed at the same time
Process of the serial view:
- Analyze literal meaning
- Find literal meaning defective
- Seek another interpretation using context and other know meanings
Assumptions of the serial view:
- The literal meaning is always processed first
- Figurative meanings are harder to process than literal meanings
- If the literal meaning can fit, the figurative meaning should be difficult to process
Process of the parallel view:
- All meanings are searched at once
- Choose meaning with the strongest activation (the meaning that best fits the context, the meaning that is most common)
Assumptions of the parallel view:
- Figurative and literal meanings are both processed
2. Context or frequency of use can affect strength of activation
Gibb’s experiment
- Subjects read sentences along with either their literal meaning or their nonliteral indirect meaning
- The subjects decide if the second sentence was a true paraphrase of the first sentence
- Other subjects did the same task, but they read a paragraph context before making the decision
- Serial view says the literal meaning should be verified fastest
Results: with no context, subjects were faster at verifying literal meanings than nonliteral meanings - SUPPORTED THE SERIAL VIEW - When reading a context paragraph before making their decisions
- The serial view would predict the literal meaning should be verified fastest regardless of context
- The parallel view would predict with context, the indirect meaning should be verified faster
Results: When context was provided, subjects were faster to verify the nonliteral (indirect) meanings than the literal meanings - SUPPORTED THE PARALLEL VIEW
Results of Gibb’s experiment:
Sentence with their literal meaning or nonliteral meaning:
Results: With no context, subjects were faster at verifying literal meanings than nonliteral meanings - SUPPORTED THE SERIAL VIEW
Context paragraph before making their decisions
Results: When context was provided, subjects were faster to verify the nonliteral (indirect) meanings than the literal meanings - SUPPORTED THE PARALLEL VIEW
Glucksberg’s Experiment
- Had subjects verify sentences
- Only interested in the false sentences
- Some sentences were just literally false, some sentences were literally false, but metaphorically true
- According to eh serial view, people should be equally fast in identifying literally false sentences
- According to the parallel view, people should be slower to say false to the metaphorically true sentences
Results: Literally false sentences were verified faster than literally false, metaphorically true sentences - PARALLEL VIEW WAS SUPPORTED
Results of the Glucksberg Experiment:
Results: Literally false sentences were verified faster than literally false, metaphorically true sentences - PARALLEL VIEW WAS SUPPORTED
Non-literal language seems to violate _______.
maxims
Sarcasm violates the maxim of _____
quality
Idioms violate the maxim of _________
manner and relevance
We use the ___________ to understand the intended message in non-literal language.
Cooperative principle - the speaker expects us to recognize the violate
