Relationship between the cognitive process and semiotic act in the linguistic and communicative models: the experiment “recording the sequence of signs by memory”

Abstract

This article provides a description of the experiment “Recording the Sequence of Signs by Memory», which was conducted with the aim of identifying the relationship between the cognitive process and semiotic act from the point of view of two diff erent theoretical models, i.e. the communicative and linguistic. Based on the data obtained, one can argue that the speech component does not participate in the activity of the consciousness (which directly contradicts the language model of speaking / writing). The acts of memorisation, planning, selection of the strategy, problem solving, internal timekeeping during memorisation and presentation of results of memorisation are performed without the participation of words from any language. Any signs, including words, belong to the sphere of semiotic action. Due to the fact that the semiotic action is aimed at changing the external cognitive state of the addressee, the sense formation in the semiotic (communicative) action has an action-related (accomplishmentrelated, influencing) nature. If a sign is not involved in a specifi c communicative act, its value cannot be established. Consequently, the meaning of the elements of the language (taking into account the fact that in the language there is no communicator nor a communicative action) cannot have an understandable meaning (sense). On the contrary, units that do not exist in the language can become signs in a communicative act due to the fact that the semiotic action is being carried out and understood by the one communicating, who is engaged in the indirect infl uencing the other’s consciousness.

Keywords

• когнитивный процесс
• семиотическое воздействие
• коммуникативное действие
• эксперимент
• знаки
• коммуникативная модель
• языковая модель
• смыслообразование
• когнитивное состояние