Pragmatic Communication Research Articles

Atypical Brain Connectivity During Pragmatic and Semantic Language Processing in Children with Autism

Background/Objectives: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face challenges in social communication due to difficulties in considering context, processing information, and interpreting social cues. This study aims to explore the neural processes related to pragmatic language communication in children with ASD and address the research question of how functional brain connectivity operates during complex pragmatic language tasks. Methods: We examined differences in brain functional connectivity between children with ASD and typically developing peers while they engaged in video recordings of spoken language tasks. We focused on two types of speech acts: semantic and pragmatic. Results: Our results showed differences between groups during the pragmatic and semantic language processing, indicating more idiosyncratic connectivity in children with ASD in the Left Somatomotor and Left Limbic networks, suggesting that these networks play a role in task-dependent functional connectivity. Additionally, these functional differences were mainly localized to the left hemisphere.

Theory of affective pragmatics under biolinguistics.

This paper introduces a pioneering investigation into affective pragmatics through the perspective of Darwinian Biolinguistics, an interdisciplinary field at the nexus of biological and linguistic principles. Anchored in Darwin's theory of evolution and the latest developments in neurobiology, this study delves into the influence of biological factors---especially those pertaining to the brain's emotional processing on pragmatic communication. The research posits that human emotional responses, inherent in our biological constitution, profoundly influence the usage and interpretation of language in social interactions.

Interrelatedness of false-belief reasoning, structural language, and pragmatic communication in typically developing 4- to 6-year-old children

Interrelatedness of false-belief reasoning, structural language, and pragmatic communication in typically developing 4- to 6-year-old children

Book Review: Pragmatics, (Im)Politeness, and Intergroup Communication: A Multilayered, Discursive Analysis of Cancel Culture by Pilar G. Blitvich

Book Review: <i>Pragmatics, (Im)Politeness, and Intergroup Communication: A Multilayered, Discursive Analysis of Cancel Culture</i> by Pilar G. Blitvich

Application of a Combined Approach in Pragmatic Rehabilitation in a Case of Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study focuses on a 12-year-old girl diagnosed with a pragmatic disorder caused by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Following an initial evaluation, a pragmatic rehabilitation program was implemented using a combined approach in 15 therapeutic sessions over a 4-month period. The program consisted of structured formats organized into modules to train the verbal, paralinguistic, and nonverbal aspects of communication. The results of the re-evaluation demonstrated the program’s effectiveness, with improvements in communicative intention, proxemic skills, prosodic variations, physical contact with the interlocutor, and verbal fluency in oral messages. Consequently, the implementation of the intervention program significantly enhanced the patients’ pragmatic communication skills in therapeutic, familial, and social contexts.

The profile of social communication in Dravet syndrome

Dravet syndrome (DS) presents a multifaceted clinical picture marked by epilepsy, cognitive impairments and behavioral disorders that progresses throughout development. Behavioral disorders include impairments in social relationships and communication, with frequent diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. This study focused on comprehensively evaluating and comparing social communication profiles among a group of 43 children with Dravet syndrome, 30 children with level 1 autism spectrum disorder, 36 with social (pragmatic) communication disorder, and 18 with intellectual disability. Using validated tools like the Childhood Autism Spectrum Test and Children’s Communication Checklist, distinct patterns of social communication deficits were delineated. Our findings indicate that children with Dravet syndrome experience challenges in social relationships, primarily due to difficulties in use of pragmatic language. Areas such as range of interests and social interaction are less affected compared to those with ASD, emphasizing differing profiles between the conditions. While children with DS and ID may have similar intellectual functioning, the different social communication deficits in DS indicate their role in the DS phenotype beyond ID. These results underscore the unique social communication profile of DS and emphasizes the importance of tailored interventions and deep phenotyping efforts for effective DS management.

ЛИНГВОКУЛЬТУРНЫЕ ЦЕННОСТИ В ЭПИЧЕСКОМ ДИСКУРСЕ (на материале якутского и алтайского эпических текстов)

This article is devoted to the identification of universal and national values in the epic texts Mighty Er Sogotokh and Maadai-Kara. The relevance of the study of the problem is due to the growing interest in the comparative study of linguistic and cultural features in multi-system languages based on the material of epic texts. The following methods are used in the work: the continuous sampling method, linguistic and cultural and interpretative analyses, and the comparative method. The material for the analysis was extracted by a continuous sampling method from the original texts of epic tales, provided with a line-by-line translation into Russian. The purpose of the work is to identify and describe universal and national-specific attitudes in the value perception of the surrounding world, reflected in the linguistic units of epic tales. The study revealed that both texts enshrine such basic values as family, attention to people, safety, respect for parents, Homeland, justice, health, etc., which show their relative stability in the temporal and spatial dimensions. The vital, cultural, moral, spiritual, terminal, and other values available in each community exist collectively in one context. It is also revealed that the life-affirming imperative is translated from the position of the characters, for example, the father and mother of the main characters or on behalf of the mistress of Altai, who have significant experience in pragmatic communication with the outside world and the nature of the worldview of the inhabitants of the space of their existence. Thus, a general picture of values is formed for transmission to the inexperienced, the young, or those who are looking for value supports to know themselves and others, are in search of answers to the multifaceted questions of human existence, etc. The prospect of further work is seen in a more detailed and in-depth development of the dominant values that determine the norms of behavior in various discursive practices of related languages.

SMILEY-assistive application to support social and emotional skills in SPCD individuals.

According to the available studies, mobile applications have provided significant support in improving the diverse skills of special individuals with social pragmatic communication disorder (SPCD). Over the last decade, SPCD has affected 8 to 11% of individuals, and therapy sessions cost between $50 and $150 per hour. This preliminary study aims to develop an interactive, user-friendly intervention to enhance social and emotional interaction skills in individuals with SPCD. The proposed intervention is an Android application that enhances social and emotional interaction skills. This pilot study involved 29 human subjects aged 7-13 years with pragmatic communication deficits. In a randomized controlled trial, the intervention was developed and implemented with consideration of caregiver and professional requirements. The improvement was analyzed using standard scales, including the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) and the Social Communication Disorder Scale (SCDS). Moreover, the outcomes were examined through statistical parameters (mean, standard deviation) and tests (t-test). The intervention significantly improved the social and emotional skills of individuals with deficits. Before using the intervention, the identified statistical values for SCQ (mean = 6.48 and standard deviation = 3.37) and SCDS (mean = 8.17 and standard deviation = 4.79). However, after using the intervention, values for SCQ (mean = 8.24 and standard deviation = 3.95) and SCDS (mean = 9.48 and standard deviation = 4.72) were improved in comparison to the before-intervention outcome. The evaluation of the t-scores and p-values indicates that there has been significant improvement in the performance of individuals after the successful completion of the intervention. The proposed and applied intervention resulted in a significant impact in terms of improvement in social and emotional skills. The study concluded that it allows individuals to practice social and emotional interaction skills in a structured, controlled, and interactive environment. The proposed intervention has been found acceptable as per the reviews of caregivers and professionals, based on essential criteria including user experience, usability, interactive nature, reliability, and creditability.

Transdiagnostic considerations are critical to understanding childhood neurodevelopmental disorders.

Growing dissatisfaction with the current categorical diagnostic systems has led to a movement toward transdiagnostic dimensional approaches to assessment of childhood mental health disorders. We argue that a transdiagnostic approach is especially important and appropriate when screening for neurodevelopmental disorders during early childhood. In the early childhood years, symptoms often appear in the form of developmental delays that could portend a variety of different disorders. Early intervention at this point is critical, even though a final endpoint disorder is not yet apparent. Intervening early has the potential to grow the area of weakness, possibly correcting or at least ameliorating these delays. Early intervention requires a multidisciplinary approach integrating efforts across settings and providers that monitor the development of young children. We argue here that young children's language ability is central to the development of social cognition, and a prerequisite for adequate social functioning. Social deficits are defining features of a subset of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and social (pragmatic) communication disorder. Critically, impairment in social functioning is common in additional neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disorders, and even motor disorders. For this reason, we argue that, at the earliest sign of a possible neurodevelopmental disorder, children should be screened for language deficits prior to initiating a focused assessment for a specific type of neurodevelopmental disorder such as ADHD. Any detected language deficits should be considered in the design and implementation of the assessment, as well as the ultimate intervention plan.

Pragmatic Communication Deficit and Functional Outcome in Patients with Right- and Left-Brain Damage: A Pilot Study.

Pragmatic communication abilities refer to the capacity to use language in a social context. Despite evidence to the contrary, the left cerebral hemisphere of the majority of right handers has been considered exclusively specialized for control of language phonology, syntax and semantics, whereas the right hemisphere has been specialized for the control of language pragmatics. Many studies have shown the non-exclusivity of the left hemisphere for language skills. Communication deficits observed in these studies for patients with right hemisphere damage confirmed the necessity for integrity of the right hemisphere across a number of language components. The aim of this study is to investigate the specific role of the right and left hemispheres across several aspects of communication deficits, with particular attention given to the influence of these deficits on functional outcome. The second aim is to characterize possible correlations between pragmatic and other cognitive deficits. We evaluated 22 patients, 15 with left- and 7 with right-brain ischemic or hemorrhagic damage, using cognitive, pragmatic and language tests. We deployed the Right Hemisphere Language Battery-Santa Lucia and Montreal d'Evaluation de la Communication to assess pragmatic abilities. The results showed no statistically significant differences between patients with left- and right-brain damage, highlighting the importance of integration between the two hemispheres in the communication process. Multiple significant correlations were found between pragmatic abilities and cognitive tests assessing global cognitive functioning, pantomime expression and comprehension. Pragmatic deficits were also shown to correlate with functional cognitive outcome. It is important to assess pragmatic abilities in patients with cognitive deficits after both left and right stroke for tailoring neuropsychological intervention to mitigate pragmatic disabilities in functional outcomes.

Freedom of Speech in Digital Communication: Rafael Capurro’s Cultural Approach to Self-Formation

This article aims to explore the meaning of freedom of speech in Rafael Capurro’s writings. For this purpose, the article will consist of three parts. The first part will deal with the principle of freedom of speech which is embedded both in Western and Eastern cultures. The second part of the article will focus on the problematization of freedom of speech in digital communication, especially in cases of privacy and flourishing humanity. A harmonious social life and the flourishing of the human soul will be regarded as fundamental arguments of self-formation ethics in digital communication. Then, the third part of the article will trace out some of the implications of Capurro’s assessment of self-formation ethics as a basic argument for freedom of speech. In this final section, a discussion concerning the contribution of Capurro’s thoughts on criticizing pragmatic and intoxicant digital communication will be considered.

Methodological framework for developing pragmatic communication competence in English to students from vocational technical education ISCED 4

The 21st century require certain demands regarding employment on the labor market. An imperative orientation, in this context, is communication. Effective communication is an essential element in any workplace, or the current global context of the labor market requires employees the ability to communicate in a globally used language - English. Employers evaluate not only the language skills of the candidates, but also their ability to adapt to various professional communication situations: to share ideas, ask questions and answer questions appropriately, in other words they evaluate the competence of pragmatic communication in English language - an imperative requirement in the current context for the professional career. Starting from this idea, the professional-technical education has the duty to develop students’ competence of pragmatic communication in English, to be future specialists in various fields. This article presents the methodological framework for training the competence of pragmatic communication in English for students in ISCED 4 vocational technical education, which represents a scientific-didactic construct created out of theories, principles, didactic methods and learning tasks.

A Study on Ambiguity of Chinese De-Construction Based on the Qualia Role

In modern Chinese, De-Construction is widely used, and the NP1++NP2 structure often leads to ambiguity. According to the theory of qualia structure, analyzing the qualia roles of nouns can explain the causes and semantics behind the ambiguity formation. The activation of implicit predicates is used to differentiate semantics. As some nouns can also function as verbs, a multifaceted structure, NP1/VP++NP2, is created. Moreover, for de-construction where the qualia roles of nouns are the same, the interpretative power is evidently compromised. This phenomenon is related to cultural background, pragmatic communication, and other factors, causing the extension and expansion of semantic connotations in the de-construction. Therefore, the generation of ambiguity is unrelated to the qualia roles of noun materials.

Grice’s anatomy: Dissecting meaning and intentions in pragmatic communication

Grice’s anatomy: Dissecting meaning and intentions in pragmatic communication

Usefulness of the autism spectrum quotient (AQ) in screening for autism spectrum disorder and social communication disorder

Abstract Background In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and social (pragmatic) communication disorder (SCD) were described as a new category of psychiatry nosography. SCD involves impairments in social communication and social interaction but not restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. The autism spectrum quotient (AQ) was developed to screen for autism tendencies in adults with normal intelligence. However, AQ cutoff scores for screening ASD and SCD in the DSM-5 have not been established. This study examined whether the Japanese version of the AQ (AQ-J) total scores could discriminate between an ASD group, an SCD group, and a neurotypical (NT) group. Methods Participants were 127 ASD patients, 52 SCD patients, and 49 NT individuals. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to examine AQ-J total score cutoff values to distinguish between ASD and NT groups, SCD and NT groups, and ASD and SCD groups. Results In the ROC analysis for the ASD and NT groups, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.96, and the optimum cutoff value was 23 points (sensitivity 92.9%, specificity 85.7%). The AUC for the SCD and NT groups was 0.89, and the optimum cutoff value was 22 points (sensitivity 84.6%, specificity 85.7%). The AUC for the ASD and SCD groups was 0.75; the optimum cutoff value was 32 points (sensitivity 67.7%, specificity 71.2%). Conclusion Our findings suggest the usefulness of the AQ-J in screening for ASD and SCD.

Goal-Oriented Scheduling in Sensor Networks With Application Timing Awareness

Taking inspiration from linguistics, the communications theoretical community has recently shown a significant recent interest in <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pragmatic</i> , or goal-oriented, communication. In this paper, we tackle the problem of pragmatic communication with multiple clients with different, and potentially conflicting, objectives. We capture the goal-oriented aspect through the metric of Value of Information (VoI), which considers the estimation of the remote process as well as the timing constraints. However, the most common definition of VoI is simply the Mean Square Error (MSE) of the whole system state, regardless of the relevance for a specific client. Our work aims to overcome this limitation by including different summary statistics, i.e., value functions of the state, for separate clients, and a diversified query process on the client side, expressed through the fact that different applications may request different functions of the process state at different times. A query-aware Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) solution based on statically defined VoI can outperform naive approaches by 15-20%.

The neurobiological map of theory of mind and pragmatic communication in autism

ABSTRACT Children with autism often have difficulty with Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to infer mental states, and pragmatic skills, the contextual use of language. Neuroimaging research suggests ToM and pragmatic skills overlap, as the ability to understand another’s mental state is a prerequisite to interpersonal communication. To our knowledge, no study in the last decade has examined this overlap further. To assess the emerging consensus across neuroimaging studies of ToM and pragmatic skills in autism, we used coordinate-based activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analysis of 35 functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies (13 pragmatic skills, 22 ToM), resulting in a meta-analysis of 1,295 participants (647 autistic, 648 non-autistic) aged 7 to 49 years. Group difference analysis revealed decreased left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) activation in autistic participants during pragmatic skills tasks. For ToM tasks, we found reduced anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), and temporoparietal junction (TPJ) activation in autistic participants. Collectively, both ToM and pragmatic tasks showed activation in IFG and superior temporal gyrus (STG) and a reduction in left hemispheric activation in autistic participants. Overall, the findings underscore the cognitive and neural processing similarities between ToM and pragmatic skills, and their underlying neurobiological differences in autism.

Linguistic approaches to development pragmatic communication skills in the English language to students from technical vocational education

In this article are reflected the linguistic approaches on the development of communication competence. Communica-tion competence, based on the linguistic dimension, is used in the act of personal and professional communication. Prag-matics is the way we convey the message through communication, by emphasizing the active and interactive features of language and the structure of norms established in the case of linguistic communication. Pragmatic communication compe-tence points out the ability to know, understand and construct coherent appropriate discourses to the social, intercultural and professional circumstances, in which communication takes place. Mastering pragmatic communication skills in English highlights the student’s ability in technical vocational education for social interaction and professional career at a global level

Systematically Identifying Communication Deficits in Youth Under Psychiatric Care Through a Self-Report Scale

Background: Communication disorders are associated with psychopathology and social distress in adolescents, yet moderate or less severe deficits often go undiagnosed. Data from a quality improvement initiative was analyzed from the Communication Perception Estimate Scale (CoPES), a self-report scale for receptive-expressive and pragmatic language deficits in youth receiving mental health services. Objective: To identify the frequency of communication deficits (CDs) among youth in psychiatric care and identify patterns of self-reported symptoms. The scale may be used as a clinical screening tool for Language disorder and Social (Pragmatic) communication disorder. Methods: CoPES is a 31-item scale administered to 318 adolescents 11-18 years old, asking questions about receptive-expressive and pragmatic CDs. In the first 12 items, subjects identified the frequency of communication disorder symptoms using a forced-choice scale; in the following items, frustration with CDs, yes or no for earlier intervention, and current interest in getting help for CDs. Respondents are from five representative clinical services. Results: Patients were divided into self-identified groups: 14.5% significant Receptive-Expressive deficits only (R-ED); 6.6% significant Pragmatic deficits only (PD); 29.9% Both significant Receptive-Expressive and Pragmatic deficits (BCD); and 49.1% with limited or no deficits (NCD). The R-ED group expressed high rates of frustration and requests for help with Receptive-Expressive deficits. The PD group reported elevated rates of frustration in both areas. The BCD group indicated significantly more frustration and requests for help with both language areas compared to the NCD group. Conclusion: This data supports the need for greater awareness and consideration of communication disorders in youth presenting for psychiatric care.

Apology Strategies in Hindko: An Explanatory Intercultural Research

Intercultural and cross-cultural studies play a significant role in understanding the influence of culture on communication, especially pragmatic communication in any language. The current study aims to explore the phenomenon of apology strategies used by Hindko speakers enrolled at the University of Kotli and the University of AJK Muzaffarabad. The data were collected through a Discourse Completion Test from 10 speakers of Hindko enrolled in various departments at the University of Kotli and UAJK Muzaffarabad. The Turkish language data were adopted as a reference from a research study conducted by Cetinavei (2012). The Hindko data were analyzed using the theoretical framework presented by Blum-Kulka et.al (1984). The findings of the research show that Hindko speakers show variation in using apology strategies. Hindko speakers use more direct explanation and denial strategies, whereas Turkish speakers use indirect responsibility and explanation strategies. Moreover, the analysis also shows that Hindko speakers use forgiveness strategies more frequently than other strategies like intensifying or taking responsibility. The research opens doors for future researchers to dig into the comparative aspects of the languages with other European languages.