The semiotic function is the ability to make representations, this ability is based on the manipulation of signs and symbols, which are characterized by a different meaning and meaning, but how does it really work?
To understand what semiotic function is, one of the best examples is a painting by a French painter named Magritte. The artist drew a pipe, and underneath he wrote, “Is n?Is it a pipe? Which means in Portuguese” It’s not a pipe. “
- With that.
- He wanted to clarify that although the drawing evokes a pipe in our minds.
- It wasn’t really a pipe.
- In this case.
- It was simply a symbolic representation of an object that exists in the real world.
- Sounds confusing.
- But have you thought about it? Every representation is not.
- In fact.
- The real object.
In this example, Magritte uses the semiotic function to create art. All humans use continuous representations. In this article we will talk about the different types of representation that exist from the relationship between signifier and meaning.
Representations are a big part of our lives, we continually use signs and symbols that help us plan, communicate and guide our actions, their usefulness lies in allowing us to interact mentally with an element without actually experiencing the object in the real world.
Each representation has two elements: the signifier and the meaning, the first refers to the physical component of the representation, for example, the letters that make up a word or the lines in the drawing of a box; meaning, on the other hand, is the image that is created in our head when we see a certain symbol.
The use of representations opens up several possibilities for the development of our psychology, this allows the subject to move away from the current situation and open himself to remote places in time and space, in fact, this ability gives us the opportunity to create fictions. worlds that exist only in our imagination.
Saussure, a philosopher, categorized the representations into three different types, which differ from each other depending on the degree of connection between meaning and signifier.
The ability to create representation is a skill that develops and becomes increasingly present in the latter stages of the sensory-motor period of human development, depending on the stages of Piaget’s development.
The appearance of semiotic function is therefore not somewhat abrupt, the child will increasingly use semiotic representations and behaviors.
From this point we can find many examples of semiotic function in children’s behavior:
In conclusion, it is no exaggeration to say that semiotic function is one of the most important skills of the human being, thanks to him we managed to create a communication system that allowed us to develop a culture and history that advanced and survived humanity. Community.
Therefore, the study and study of the development of semiotics has greatly helped to understand the strong implications of this capacity in people’s lives.