Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2026
07:18
Examining Gesture Production in the Presence of Communication Challenges
Published on: January 26, 2024
A pilot study of Hungarian discourse markers
Csilla Ilona Dér1, Alexandra Markó
1Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church, Budapest, Hungary.
Language and Speech
|June 30, 2010
Summary
This study examined Hungarian discourse markers in spontaneous speech, finding limited support for claims of turn-initial position and prosodic independence. Further analysis explored perceptual cues differentiating discourse and syntactic functions.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Phonetics
- Psycholinguistics
Background:
- Discourse markers (DMs) are crucial for speech coherence.
- Previous research on Hungarian DMs often relies on theoretical claims.
- The distinction between DMs and syntactic words can be ambiguous in perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the formal and positional characteristics of single-word simple discourse markers in Hungarian spontaneous speech.
- To test existing theoretical claims regarding the position and prosody of Hungarian DMs.
- To identify acoustic and phonetic cues that aid in distinguishing discourse-marking from syntactic functions during speech perception.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of spontaneous Hungarian speech samples.
- Testing theoretical claims about turn-initial position and prosodic independence (pauses) of DMs.
- Examining features like clausal position, articulation lenition, duration, fundamental frequency modulation, and sentence stress for word forms with dual functions.
Main Results:
- Theoretical claims regarding turn-initial position and prosodic independence of Hungarian DMs were not fully supported by the data.
- A combination of positional, articulatory, durational, and prosodic features may aid in distinguishing DM from syntactic functions, but inconsistently.
- No single factor reliably differentiates the two functions across all instances.
Conclusions:
- Existing theories on Hungarian discourse marker placement and prosody require revision.
- Speech perception likely involves a complex interplay of multiple cues to differentiate discourse markers from syntactic words.
- Further research is needed to explore additional parameters involved in the identification of these functions.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Language and Cognition
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
03:26Framing Effects
Information is everywhere and its presentation—such as how and when items are presented—can impact our perceptions and decisions surrounding the info. This broad concept umbrellas framing effects—influences that occur due to the way information is framed in its appearance, whether it’s purely the order or the specific wording of a message. Let’s take a look at numerous ways in which two versions of something can objectively say the same thing, yet we respond in different ways based on the...
02:16Surveys
Often, psychologists develop surveys as a means of gathering data. Surveys are lists of questions to be answered by research participants, and can be delivered as paper-and-pencil questionnaires, administered electronically, or conducted verbally. Generally, the survey itself can be completed in a short time, and the ease of administering a survey makes it easy to collect data from a large number of people.
01:29Non-Verbal Cues
Non-verbal communication extends beyond gestures and facial expressions to include vocal elements known as paralanguage. Paralanguage consists of non-verbal vocal cues such as pitch, loudness, speech rate, pauses, and non-verbal vocalizations like laughter, sighs, and moans. These elements not only accompany speech but also provide critical emotional and contextual information.The Role of Paralanguage in CommunicationParalanguage adds depth to spoken language by conveying emotions and...