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Language Games and Social Cognition: Revisiting Bruner
Ilaria Grazzani1, Jens Brockmeier2
1University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy. ilaria.grazzani@unimib.it.
Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science
|April 26, 2019
Summary
Language games are cultural practices crucial for children's language and social development. Jerome Bruner's work at Oxford pioneered this concept, influencing modern developmental psychology and social cognition research.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistic Anthropology
- Philosophy of Language
Background:
- Explores Jerome Bruner's foundational work on language games at Oxford in the 1960s.
- Traces the influence of Wittgenstein and Austin on Bruner's theories.
- Highlights the conceptualization of language games as cultural practices.
Observation:
- Examines the emergence of language games in early childhood.
- Investigates the link between linguistic and socio-cognitive development.
- Details the historical trajectory of Bruner's influence on research.
Findings:
- Bruner's theories significantly shaped developmental psychology, particularly social cognition.
- Language games provide a framework for understanding children's learning processes.
- Specific research traditions have evolved from this foundational work.
Implications:
- Informs educational strategies for early childhood language acquisition.
- Offers insights into the cultural embeddedness of cognitive development.
- Provides a basis for further research in developmental and educational psychology.
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