Acoustic features of language as social marker: evolutionary backgrounds and development

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17KT0139
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 特設分野
• Research Field: Orality and Society
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: HASHIYA Kazuhide 九州大学, 人間環境学研究院, 准教授 (20324593)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小林 洋美 九州大学, 人間環境学研究院, 学術協力研究員 (30464390)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-07-18 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 間投詞 / コミュニケーション / 発達 / 意図性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the function and acquisition process of interjections in communication, from a developmental point of view, focusing on the interaction between the biological basis of, and, cultural and social influences on, human communication. In particular, the possibility that interjections may function to transmit intentionality was investigated the task named "Selective Imitation Task" for 4-5 year olds, and we found that the model act with the Japanese interjective "ei" was selected more frequently than the act with "a". The results are now in the process of being revised for the journal. In addition to other paper presentations, the contributor published a book (The Moai's eye, University of Tokyo Press) that included related papers and introduced them, as an outreach activity.

Free Research Field

比較発達心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日常会話に含まれる「あ」「えい」等の間投詞は、明示的にその意味が教えられるわけではないのに話者の行為の「意図性」を伝達している可能性に着目し、そのような機能が発達的に獲得される過程を新たな行動実験を立案して検証した。「選択行動再生課題」と名付けた課題を４-５歳児に試行したところ、日本語間投詞「えい」を付随させたモデルの行為を「あ」を付随させた行為よりも高頻度に選択再生することが示され、この年齢層の幼児が既に間投詞を行為者の意図性を表示するシグナルとして獲得していることがあきらかになった。