Podcast
Questions and Answers
What distinguishes signs from mental associations?
What distinguishes signs from mental associations?
- Signs only refer to tangible items, while mental associations can refer to abstract concepts.
- Signs are always visible, while mental associations can be hidden.
- Signs are innate, while mental associations are learned.
- Signs are determined by rules that can be learned, while mental associations are subjective. (correct)
According to Pierce, how is an index characterized?
According to Pierce, how is an index characterized?
- By an interpretative process that changes over time.
- By a conventional agreement among speakers.
- By a relationship of similarity between the sign and its meaning.
- By a causal relationship where the meaning causes the sign. (correct)
What defines a symbol in Pierce's classification of signs?
What defines a symbol in Pierce's classification of signs?
- Its meaning is derived from personal experiences of the interpreter.
- It has a direct causal link to its meaning.
- It is linked to its meaning through a conventional agreement. (correct)
- It resembles its meaning in form and appearance.
Which of the following statements about icons is true?
Which of the following statements about icons is true?
What role does the interpretant play in Pierce's definition of a sign?
What role does the interpretant play in Pierce's definition of a sign?
Flashcards
What is a sign?
What is a sign?
A sign stands for something else, establishing a relationship between the sign and its referent.
What is Semiotics?
What is Semiotics?
The discipline that studies signs and their meanings, focusing on the relationship between signs, their referents, and their interpreters.
What is a Mental Association?
What is a Mental Association?
A mental association between two things, which is subjective and unique to an individual.
What is an Index?
What is an Index?
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What is an Icon?
What is an Icon?
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Study Notes
Nature of a Sign
- A sign represents something else, referring to another entity.
- Its meaning is what it refers to.
- Charles Pierce, a semiotics founder, defined a sign as involving an "interpretant" (a third element relating the sign to something else).
Defining a Sign
- Defining a sign as anything that refers to something else is too broad.
- Not everything that refers to something else for someone is a sign.
- Mental associations are distinct from signs; they are subjective and personal.
- Sign-meaning associations are rule-based and teachable.
Types of Signs (Pierce's Classification)
- Indices: The relationship between sign and meaning is causal. The interpreter traces from cause to effect or effect to cause. Examples include clouds causing rain, or fever caused by illness.
- Icons: The relationship is based on resemblance. Interpreters associate because signs resemble their meanings. Examples include road signs.
- Symbols: The link to meaning is conventional; meaning is agreed upon. Speakers agree on the meaning of words and symbols.
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