Section 1: Introduction and Disambiguation

Section 1:

Introduction and Disambiguation

My project aims to evaluate the importance of verbal communication as a social vehicle – how deep are the effects of social communication rooted on us as social creatures? This observational study was incited by the notion that many pioneering observational studies in the psychological field were made in the observation of the dysfunctional human organism. Take the case study of H.M., a man whose surgical removal of a brain section robbed him of the ability to store new memories. (Adelson,2005) Research on his behaviors by multiple psychologists resulted in important findings about the nature of memory. The best insights into the nature of order is to observe it in dysfunction. To that end, the observational section of my project was of my own abstinence from verbal communication, and the social consequences that would follow. Will I suffer or flourish amongst my speech-capable peers? How will I fail or succeed in communicating without my voice? And most importantly, why will these consequences occur? Each of these questions will be explored as I reflect upon my experience in speechlessness with the insights of psychosocial studies to evaluate and explain the importance and impact of speech as a social vehicle.

There is perhaps no social vehicle more effective than speech. As a form of communication carried by sound waves instead of visual reception, we need not look, or even seek the attention, of those with which we wish to communicate. With the marvelous invention of language, we gain the ability to articulate beyond mere emotion and express ourselves in complex ways with remarkable ease. It is these numerous advantages that granted verbal communication its proud and dominant place in the course of human development. As much as it has liberated us, however, knowledge has limited us in equal ways. Language is our preponderant communicator; as long as we can speak, we have no need to use any other form of communication. Gestures and expressions are important, of course, but in such an advanced society that we have created for ourselves and acclimated to, these emotions often take the backseat in favor of the more complex form of expression that verbal communication offers - gestures and expressions, instead, help to accentuate language. (Krauss, 131-143)

Humans are social creatures. Without elaboration, this may seem a light statement – all creatures are capable of communicating with one another.  However, our ability to form complex methods of communication is influenced by our own biological preferences. Chomsky's work introduced to us the idea of the language acquisition device, a naturally formed device which motivates our natural acquisition of the language of our household. How else, Chomsky argues, do many languages of the world share similar grammatical infrastructures? (Chomsky, 1959,87)

However, it is important to not place too much stock on the ability of a single perspective in determining and defining human behavior and cognition. A study of Nicaraguan deaf children demonstrated that, when faced with social pressures and individuals that can be related with, the desire to socialize facilitated the creation of a unique Nicaraguan sign language, with its own words and grammatical structure. (Osbourne, 1999, Sandler et Al, 2005) The nature and value of verbal communication can better be evaluated by viewing each effect from multiple perspectives. The biopsychosocial approach acknowledges the inability of each perspective to reveal everything. Therefore, an expansive analysis of each perspective is needed to properly evaluate a concept and articulate its numerous determinant factors. It is with this mentality that is absolutely essential to the spirit of my project, as an open an receptive mind is the most receptive to new insights.

\ Citations:
Adelson, R. (2005,September). Lessons from H.M. Monitor on Psychology, p. 59.
Chomsky, N. (1959). Review of B.F. Skinner's Verbal Behavior. Language, 35, 26-58.
Chomsky, N. (1987). Language in a psychological setting. Sophia Linguistic Working Papers in Liguistics, No. 22, Sophia university, Tokyo.
Osbourne, L. (1999, October 27). A linguistic big bang. New York Times Magazine (www.nytimes.com).
Sandler, W., Meir, I., Padden, C., & Aronoff, M. (2005). The emergence of grammar: Systemic structure in a new language. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102, 2261-2265.