Three dimensional view of sign iconicity

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Cognitive Science
• Sign Language Studies

Background:

• Iconicity in language refers to the perceived natural resemblance between a sign's form and its meaning.
• Previous research often focused on linguistic principles to explain iconicity.
• The role of individual learner characteristics in iconicity perception remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of learners' backgrounds on the perception of sign iconicity.
• To determine if iconicity is perceived universally or if it varies based on learner characteristics.
• To challenge the notion that iconicity can be solely defined by linguistic criteria.

Main Methods:

• Data analysis of learner responses regarding sign perception.
• Comparative study across diverse learner groups.
• Qualitative and quantitative assessment of iconicity judgments.

Main Results:

• Learners' backgrounds demonstrably influence which signs are perceived as most iconic.
• Iconicity is not uniformly perceived across all learners, indicating subjective interpretation.
• Linguistic analysis alone is insufficient to predict iconicity perception.

Conclusions:

• Learner background is a critical factor in sign iconicity.
• Future research should incorporate learner-specific variables when assessing iconicity.
• A holistic approach, beyond purely linguistic definitions, is necessary for understanding sign iconicity.