Zoo semiotics

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The zoosemiotics [ ʦo.o - not: ʦoː -] (Greek by. : Zoon "animal" and semiotics examines how as a general theory of characters) Animals form and character to use.

Classification of the subject

Classification is not easy: zoo semiotics researches communication systems of animals such as animal languages and primate language . In contrast to zoo semiotics, anthroposemiotics explicitly deals with human communication systems. The Humansemiotik in turn divided into two sub-regions: the anthroposemiotische branch examines the language and the zoosemiotische discipline deals with paralinguistic , proxemic , nonverbal and other expression systems. Since zoo semiotics is dependent on research in biology and behavioral research , it can only be viewed to a limited extent as an object of research in linguistics.

Disciplines

Zoo semiotics comprises three main research areas:

  • The Zoopragmatik (Greek .: action) examined the factors, conditions and effects of the use of signs of animals.
  • The zoo semantics (Greek: belonging to the sign) deals with the meaning of animal signs and their object relationship.
  • The zoo syntax (Greek: combination), in turn, explores the spatiotemporal positioning of signs in the animal world as well as the rules according to which the signs are combined.

Communication typology

Animal communication is divided into several types:

  • When animals of a species communicate with one another, that is intraspecific communication . Intra-specific communication can only succeed if everyone involved uses the same code and the same rules. The knowledge of code and rules can be innate ability from birth, a trained innate disposition that has been trained or learned.
    • If the intraspecific communication only runs in one direction from the sender to the receiver, then it is a unidirectional communication . Bees, on the other hand, dance to inform their conspecifics about the position of a food source. The danced message is also unidirectional, because the dance does not trigger a symbolic reaction in other bees, but rather a practical reaction.
    • In contrast to unidirectional communication, there is symmetrical communication, which shows potential possibilities for dialogue ability. The behavior of dogs during the ritual to establish contact is exemplary.

The content of the animal signal is often ambiguous and depends on the respective context . The position of the sun plays an important role in the information provided by bees about the distance and direction of the food source. The relative position of the interacting animals or the relative position in the field of perception can also be significant . The distance to other conspecifics, to the food source, to the building or to the nest can influence the content of the message.

Difference to human communication

Animal and human communication are very different from each other. Animal communication lacks the possibility of a double structure . In addition, animals are not capable of metalinguistic or reflexive communication because their communication is situation-bound . In addition, the animal dialogue ability is only rudimentarily developed.

In 1963 Charles Hockett worked out a total of 16 design features to determine the peculiarities of human and animal communication. The Hockett model was confirmed by William Thorpe in 1972, apart from slight deviations. Thorpe examined nine animal species and three human communication systems, namely the sign language of American deaf people, the form of the written language and paralinguistic features.

See also

literature

  • Michael Fleischer : * Dog and human: a semiotic analysis of their communication. Stauffenburg, Tübingen 1987
  • Helmut Glück (Ed.): Metzler Lexicon Language. 4th edition. Verlag JB Metzler, Stuttgart and Weimar 2010, ISBN 3-476-02335-4
  • Heini Hediger : Understanding animals. Findings from an animal psychologist. Deutscher Taschenbuchverlag, Munich 1984
  • Charles F. Hockett: The View from Language. 1977
  • Kalevi Kull: Zoosemiotics is the study of animal forms of knowing. In: Semiotica. Volume 198, 2014, pp. 47-60
  • Timo Maran, Dario Martinelli, Aleksei Turovski (eds.): Readings in Zoosemiotics. (Semiotics, Communication and Cognition 8.) De Gruyter Mouton, Berlin 2011, e-book ISBN 978-3-11-025343-6
  • Paul Schauenberg: Mysterious Languages ​​of Animals. 1982
  • Thomas Sebeok (Ed.): How Animals Communicate. 1977
  • Thomas Sebeok: Perspectives in Zoosemiotics. 1972
  • William Thorpe : The Comparison of Vocal Communication in Animals and Man. In: Robert Hinde (Ed.): Non-Verbal Communication. 1972, pp. 27-47