A design for multivariate analysis of language behaviour and language development.

Abstract

By means of a short integrative survey of studies of language development the complexity of this area is demonstrated. Consequently, the use of multivariate designs and the concentration upon the performance aspects of verbal behaviour is advocated. The pragmatic and semantic aspects are analysed as the two main dimensions affecting the verbal statement. The pragmatic dimension is subdivided into person variables and variables of the behaviour setting. Further subdivisions of the person variables are made and possibilities to subdivide the other dimensions are suggested. The theoretical argument is supported by illustrative examples of the verbal behaviour of two young children. The changing composition of the communicative acts of children, which are composed of verbal and non-verbal messages are further analysed and illustrated. It is concluded that the search for language competence has to be a search for a multitude of psychological variables including competence in non-verbal communication and in the evaluation of the information needs of the receiver.