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Rhetorical intentionality attribution: its ontogenesis in ordinary conversation
1Dipartimento di Psicologia dei Processi di Sviluppo e Socializzazione, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Italy.
The British Journal of Social Psychology
|January 24, 1998
Summary
Children and parents frequently use attribution of rhetorical intentionality (AIR) to explain and argue about reality. This study reveals how AIR functions in everyday conversations, shaping social interactions and understanding of intent.
Area of Science:
- Discursive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Sociolinguistics
Background:
- The study investigates the common use of reality construction as a rhetorical device in everyday explanations and arguments.
- It introduces the concept of Attribution of Rhetorical Intentionality (AIR) within a discursive psychology framework.
- AIR involves explaining others' communication as deliberate attempts to shape reality based on personal interests.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically define AIR, building on the prepackaged interest attribution technique.
- To explore the structures and functions of AIR in conversations between children and parents.
- To link AIR to theory of mind and language games in intentionality attribution.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative discourse analysis of 22 dinner conversation transcripts from eight Italian families.
- Examination of explicit and implicit instances of AIR in children aged 3.5 to 7 years.
- Analysis of parental attribution of rhetorical intentionality to children.
Main Results:
- AIR is evident in children as young as three and a half years old.
- Parents actively attribute rhetorical intentionality to their children, fostering their development as rhetorical speakers.
- AIR serves as a rhetorical strategy in disputes, often leading to topic closure.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates the pervasive nature of AIR in everyday talk among children and adults.
- AIR plays a significant role in social construction and argumentative practices.
- Findings contribute to understanding the ontological status of intentionalist talk.