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______________________________________________________________________ The "Zeitschrift für
Semiotik": Abstracts ______________________________________________________________________
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Dietmar Todt Henrike Hultsch, Dietmar Todt Philipp Goedeking Joachim Schult Enclosure Literary report Indicative character and medium function of behavior Dietmar Todt, Free University Berlin For Erwin Bünning's 80th birthday Summary. The author gives a survey of basic concepts in ethology and their use in
present day discussions, with particular reference to biocommunication. Two types of
questions concerning animal behavior are distinguished: questions about mechanisms
(proximate determinants) and questions about functions (ultimate determinants). The
methodological implications of these questions are analyzed with respect to the tenets of
systems theory and the theory of evolution. It is emphasized that biological
investigations, in contrast to the established patterns of research in human
communication, combine research in the dynamics of interaction (behavioral roles and
strategies) with a developmental approach (onto- and phylogenetic adaptation, goal
orientedness, economy, optimal functioning). In this framework, a new component (ARE =
aftect-related expectation) is presented. The author concludes that the basis for the
cultural evolution was provided by the biological evolution, which created increasingly
differentiated representations of the environment within the individual organisms.
Signal matching: sign formation through patterned answers Henrike Hultsch, Dietmar Todt, Free University Berlin Summary. The authors analyze dyadic interactions, called "signal matching",
where system B responds to a signal of system A with a similar signal (same-type signal)
of its own repertoire. Signal matching (or pattern matching) is distinguished from
parameter matching (or channel matching = tuning of particular signal parameters like
tempo, pitch, volume, etc.). The prerequisites for the performance of matching
interactions (such as signal-repertoire sharing) are specified and a survey of their
functions is given (e.g., specifying an addressee, affirming or countering a message,
giving profile to the actor's role, soliciting role change, signalling a dyadic alliance
against a third party). Signals applied during matching interactions differ in
signification from their application as solitary signals: The sign character of the
response pattern is determined by its specific relationship to the directly preceding
pattern. The social relationship between the interactants and the communicative context
play a role here.
Phylogenetic development of sound pattern structures in vertebrates Philipp Goedeking, Free University Berlin Summary. It is hypothesized that vocal signals in birds and mammals developed on the
basis of epiphenomena of breathing noises occurring during affective interactions.
Acoustic properties of vocal signals are assumed to be adaptations to the properties of
the habitat (melotope) of the species concerned. In conclusion, the vocal signals of
animals can be said to be non-arbitrary with respect to their emotional state and their
environment.
Sign mediated behavior in spiders Summary. Spiders use signs to coordinate their mating and predatory behavior. The sign
carrier typical of these animals is the web, which transmits differentiated vibratory
signs and may in many respects be compared with a telephone network. When the web ist not
available, chemical, visual, acoustic, and tactile signs are employed. In the preparation
of mating, these signs assume the functions of distinguishing heterosexual members of the
same species from those of other species, of identifying their location, and of mitigating
the tendency towards aggression and cannibalism. The sign types used are primarily
identifiers; however, signals, symbols, icons, and indices also occur.
Enclosure Vladimir Karbusicky, University of Hamburg Summary. The article documents and comments upon a booklet of hunting signals used in
Bohemia during the 19th Century.
Literary report Diane McGuiness, Stanford University Summary. The author begins by discussing the opposition between nature and nurture as viewed from the positions of cultural determinism, biological determinism, and interactionism. She follows S. Scarr in taking the learnability of a given behavior as a criterion for its position on the continuum between genetic endowment and environmental influence. On the basis of recent research, it is argued that sensory and motor biases exist from birth in males and females and that they determine subsequent skills in handling cognitive tasks, which in turn influence the organization of human social systems, including the use of language and writing in communication. |
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