Animal Semiotics Flashcards
definition of semiotics
- the study/ theory of signs and sign processes, interested in the concept of information
- close to linguistics, communication systems
- aka as semiology
signs
- any information-carrying entity
- smallest unit of information or meaning
- not necessarily ‘communitive’
- can be communicative, representation or signification
semeion
- Ancient Greek word meaning sign/mark- semiotics derived from
- first proposed by Locke
how is information defined? (3)
- defined by its absence (absence is information in itself)
- mathematics (concept of 0), Signal detection theory
- detection process= absent vs. present - defined by how a piece of info contrast with another (ex. stimulus in noisy environment vs. no stimulus –> can you discriminate the two?)
- discrimination process- same or different - defined by its lack of organization or structure (entropy, interference)
- quality of transmission: channel, code, etc.
Umwelt- described by Jacob von Uexkull
- world that animals live in and how they perceive it
- ‘environment’, ‘surroundings’, ‘model of world for given species’
Ex. for humans it is visual, for dogs it is olfactory
Wirkwelt
- the field of actual direct interaction between the organism and the environment
- dimension is sensory-motor, perception-action
- ‘sensing’
Merkwelt
- way of viewing the world, specific perceptive field of given organism
- dimension is perceptual ‘sensation’
Semiosphere
-where two (or more) umwelten interact
-Ex. wolf-human-raven
dogs can help track coyotes, but also can watch for scavenger birds (ravens) as will be near carcasses like coyotes
-symbiotic relationship between coyotes and ravens (food in trade for eyes in the sky)
Thomas Sebeok
founder of zoosemiotics
Heini Hediger
anthropological zoosemiotics- relationship between humans and animals
Name the three processes of semiotics
- communication
- representation
- signification
communication
both emitter/sender and receiver/recipient are involved, direct exchange
=focus of semiotics
ex. wolf threatens coyote at a carcass
representation
- emitter is present, but receiver is absent (or not assumed)
- not communication but still something going on
signification
-receiver is present, but emitter is absent/gone (or not assumed)
Ex. smelling of a scent mark
Ex. bears leaving claw marks on trees
source
emitter/sender of information
receiver
=recipient of information
channel
=sensory mode (modality used)
code
=structure (form)/ system of conventions
-related to syntax (rules that tell how structure works)
message
- content (types: affiliative, agonistic, sexual, etc.) with potential meaning (want message to be clear)
- relates to semantics
- what sign encodes about sender
context
- physical or social context
- relates to pragmatics
- important to be able to extract meaning
expression
- how each syllable is expressed
- related to prosodics (tone of voice)
strengths of zoosemiotic perspective (4)
No assumptions about…
- ‘actual communication’ or interaction between individuals (emitter AND receiver)
- intentionality (on part of emitter)
- interpretation (on part of receiver)
historically, a behavioristic discipline -not about cognition
Weaknesses of the zoosemiotic perspective (2)
- The affective dimension or the affect issue
- importance of emotions not clear, may be too subjective? (do animals have like humans) - The conative dimension or the motivational issue
- importance of incentives, motivational system
- should give animals choices/ preference tests
- question if they have shared motivations?
- learned helplessness?
2 types of signs and describe
- signal= communicative purpose, meant to be decoded by others
- cues= non-communicative purpose (significant or representation), may not be aware of them
Signal
=carries information for COMMUNICATIVE purpose, meant to be decoded by others
- assumption of intentionality, designed to influence behavior
- identified emitter and receiver
- at very least implicit
- communicate something between sender and reciever
cues
- non-communicative purpose (significant or representation), may not be aware of them
- do not influence behavior per say (still carry info)
- not controlled by emitter
Non-communicative behaviours
- intentionality is debated
- non-communicative in traditional sense, may be unconscious (untargeted receiver, innate/ not cognitively controlled)
- camouflage & mimicry
- complex behaviours (eg. ritualized) evolved out of simple things and may have a level of meaning? Ex. courtship behaviors and urination postures
semiogram
- catalogue of signs/ marks/ cues left by animals (no observable behavior or actor)
- consequence or result of the behavior
Example of signs in the field?
tracks, shelters, beds, feces etc.
what animal leaves behind, important for specific or outside behaviour
examples of signals in the field?
vocalizations, scent marks, displays
examples of signals from the lab?
signalling in and from the brain
examples of signs from the lab?
actions and movements are signs of brain activity
index/ indexical signs or natural sign
- spa-o-temporal correlation (contiguity)
- no separation between the sign and meaning, is the actual thing, no correlation
- natural sign–> pheromones left by a scent mark
- can localize in time and space
- long lasting message
icon/iconic signs
- clear similarity between object and sign (analogically linked)
- representation
- more specific and often ritualized (correlation between behavior and what trying to communicate)
- ex. gestures, dances, mimicry, vocal imitation, sham behaviour (in deception)
symbol/ symbolic or conventional sign
- abstract communication, based on conventions
- human only?? few animal cases
- innate or learned is questioned
- some level of abstractness
Ex. likely example is alarm calls identifying perpetrator
-degree of sociality may be important in some species
what is the main concern regarding behavior for ethology and zoosemiotics?
- the form/structure of behavior
- also concerned with context
ethogram
repertoire and catalogue of behaviors/ actions
systematic observations
what is the main concern regarding behavior for behavioral ecology and sociobiology?
the function of the behavior is focus, context is also important
what is the main concern regarding behavior for animal psych and neuroscience?
The processes, mechanisms, and causation of behavior are main concerns
Shear order issue (Lashly)
brains production of behavior not easily explained
zoosyntactics
- the rules and structure
- motor behavior organized in non-random way
- every behavior can be analyzed structurally
zoosemantics
- the meaning
- the way behavior is perceived/ decoded is crucial
- a lot is innate
zoopragmatics
- the purpose or the context
- structure and syntax can sometimes be defined by context
- Ex. dog play-fighting: very clear about intentions
zooprosodics
- the expression and modulation of behavior
- humans can pick up visual patterns
- there is musicality to behavior (flows like music)
ethological zoosemiotics
- sub discipline of zoosemiotics
- related to or part of ethology
- focus on animal behavior
anthropological zoosemiotics
- sub discipline of zoosemiotics
- related to or part of anthrozoology
- focus on the animal-human relationship (positive or negative)
fundamental (pure) zoosemiotics
- sub discipline of zoosemiotics
- theories and theory-telling
descriptive zoosemiotics
-observational, involves systematic observations
-sub discipline of zoosemiotics
Ex. food catching sequence in wild canids
Applied zoosemiotics
- applied research and specific applications
- sub discipline of zoosemiotics
ex. semiochemicals using attractants and repellants
vegetative level of communication (based on interaction)
physical presence affects behavior- limited communication
Ex. plants
tonic level of communication (based on interaction)
- chemical, motor, chromatic, metabolic stimuli
- continuous or episodic processes
- symbiotic relationships depend on this level of interaction
Ex. trailing and tracking in mammalian predators
phasic level of communication (based on interaction)
- broad and multichannel stimuli involved, discriminatory responses possible
- discontinuous process
signal level of communication (based on interaction)
-specialized structures producing (output) specialized stimuli for specialized receptors or sensory systems (input)
symbolic level of communication (based on interaction)
-symbolic communication in gestures, facial expressions, vocalizations, etc. (not linguistic)
linguistic level of communication (based on interaction)
- language, as in ‘speech’
- humans
Expressive (type of communication based on functions of signs)
- expressing something, usually emotions or other complex internal states
- orientated towards/ referred to emitter/ sender
Conative (type of communication based on functions of signs)
- Motivational
- oriented towards receiver/ recipient
- meant to influence behavior/ state of recipient/ receiver
Phatic (type of communication based on functions of signs)
- oriented towards the contact (relationship between emitter and receiver)
- communicating something (unsure what- tactile, olfactory, vocal, etc.)
Ex. chorus howls in wolves before or after a hunt= ‘bonding’
Referential (type of communication based on functions of signs)
- oriented towards the content and context of the message
- reference to context, something else brought in
- signalling social status, where food is, etc.
Metacommunicative (type of communication based on functions of signs)
- oriented towards the code in act of communication (reflect code itself)
- some say human only, but NOT
Ex. playing, deception, forms of ritualization
Aesthetic (type of communication based on functions of signs)
- oriented towards the message and its form
- produce for musical value of sound (typically in humans)
Reflexive communication (HEBB)
- most elementary form of communication
- reflex-like and ridged
Purposive communication (HEBB)
- flexible, for a specific goal
- when the consequence of the communicative act is crucial
Lagrange (HEBB)
- communication by a system of symbols
- symbols can be ordered and reordered (syntax) to change the meaning (semantics)
