Arto Mustajoki University of Helsinki Department of Modern

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Arto Mustajoki University of Helsinki Department of Modern Languages CONTEXTS AS CAUSES FOR MISUNDERSTANDING

Arto Mustajoki University of Helsinki Department of Modern Languages CONTEXTS AS CAUSES FOR MISUNDERSTANDING www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 18. 10. 2021 1

Theoretical background of the presentation • Dijk’s definition of a context • Recent psychological

Theoretical background of the presentation • Dijk’s definition of a context • Recent psychological research on egocentrism and recipient design • The Mental World concept in a model of communication Osasto / Henkilön nimi / Esityksen nimi www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 18. 10. 2021 2

Dijk (2006 etc. ) • Concept of “Mental contexts” • Contexts are not relevant

Dijk (2006 etc. ) • Concept of “Mental contexts” • Contexts are not relevant as such. It is our interpretations of contexts that are relevant. • A context (taking part in a conference, buying something in a shop, chatting with a good friend) has no direct influence on our communicative behaviour – but our understanding of the context does. Osasto / Henkilön nimi / Esityksen nimi www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 18. 10. 2021 3

Keysar and other psycholinguists • The cooperative principle of interaction is an ideal that

Keysar and other psycholinguists • The cooperative principle of interaction is an ideal that is not usually put into practice • People tend to be rather egocentric in speech • Recipient design often fails • One reason for this is the common ground fallacy Osasto / Henkilön nimi / Esityksen nimi www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 18. 10. 2021 4

Model of (mis)communication (Mustajoki) Monitoring and recipient design Mental world of the Speaker Overt

Model of (mis)communication (Mustajoki) Monitoring and recipient design Mental world of the Speaker Overt interaction Form. Sp Form. Re Meaning. Sp= what the Sp wants to say Referential world. Sp Meaning. Re= what the Re comprehends Referential world. Re Mental world of the Recipient Osasto / Henkilön nimi / Esityksen nimi www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 18. 10. 2021 5

Elements of Mental world More or less permanent features (a) communicative (linguistic) ability; (b)

Elements of Mental world More or less permanent features (a) communicative (linguistic) ability; (b) cultural and intellectual background; (c) the cognitive systems of the interlocutors. Movable (situational) features (a) the relations between the interlocutors; (b) the emotional (and physiological) state we are in; (c) contextual elements. Osasto / Henkilön nimi / Esityksen nimi www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 18. 10. 2021 6

Contexts in Mental worlds • Sound/letter-level contexts: pencil : penguin • Semantic contexts: freedom,

Contexts in Mental worlds • Sound/letter-level contexts: pencil : penguin • Semantic contexts: freedom, democracy, happiness • Syntactic contexts: John studies Chinese language and philosophy • Referential contexts: John • Pragmatic contexts: It is raining; Anna goes to the match with John; deadline • Speech situation contexts. In-group professional discourse Osasto / Henkilön nimi / Esityksen nimi www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 18. 10. 2021 7

Contexts and misunderstanding • Phrases like It is raining; John studies Chinese language and

Contexts and misunderstanding • Phrases like It is raining; John studies Chinese language and philosophy; Please buy bread as well are good sentences without a context (or in a classroom context when we learn a language) • But in a certain context (concrete situation of interaction) they may lead to misunderstanding due to various factors: mishearing, nonlistening, common ground fallacy, etc. • The common denominator of these cases is a failure in recipient design: (1) we understand the need for recipient design but are not able to implement it; (2) due to an affective state or other reasons, we do not pay attention to recipient design; (3) we interpret some contexts (situations) as a recipient-design-free zone Osasto / Henkilön nimi / Esityksen nimi www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 18. 10. 2021 8

Conclusion • Mental worlds are unavoidable contexts for any speech act • The mental

Conclusion • Mental worlds are unavoidable contexts for any speech act • The mental worlds of two persons are never identical • Thus, the mental worlds of the Speaker and the Recipient are (at least partially) different • The differences can be (partly) eliminated by careful recipient design • Because recipient design often fails (for one reason or another), miscommunication occurs frequently Osasto / Henkilön nimi / Esityksen nimi www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 18. 10. 2021 9

Final conclusion • In producing speech and in trying to comprehend it, we refer

Final conclusion • In producing speech and in trying to comprehend it, we refer to and rely on situationally relevant context in our Mental worlds. • So, difficulties in understanding are due to differences between the corresponding context of the Speaker and that of the Recipient Osasto / Henkilön nimi / Esityksen nimi www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 18. 10. 2021 10

Contact information Arto Mustajoki arto. mustajoki@helsinki. fi http: //www. helsinki. fi/~mustajok/pub/pdf-publications. html MODELLING OF

Contact information Arto Mustajoki arto. mustajoki@helsinki. fi http: //www. helsinki. fi/~mustajok/pub/pdf-publications. html MODELLING OF (MIS)COMMUNICATION Prykladna lingvistika ta lingvystychni technologii Megaling-2007, Jalta 2008, 250 -267. Osasto / Henkilön nimi / Esityksen nimi www. helsinki. fi/yliopisto 18. 10. 2021 11