Semiotic Function: Definition And Development

The semiotic function is the ability to make representations. This ability is based on the handling of signs and symbols, which are characterized by having a different meaning and signifier. But how does this really work?

To understand what the semiotic function is, one of the best examples is a painting by a French painter named Magritte. The artist drew a pipe, and under it he wrote: “Ceci n’est une pipe” which in Portuguese means “That is not a pipe”.

With that, he wanted to make it clear that although the design evokes in our minds a pipe, it wasn’t really a pipe. It was, in this case, just a symbolic representation of an object that exists in the real world. It sounds confusing, but have you thought about it? Every representation is not, in fact, the real object.

In this example, Magritte makes use of the semiotic function to create the art. All humans use representations continuously. In this article, we are going to talk about the different types of representation that exist from the relationship between signifier and signified.

Components of representations

Representations form a huge part of our lives. We are continually using signs and symbols that help us plan, communicate and guide our actions. Its usefulness lies in allowing us to mentally interact with an element without actually experiencing the object in the real world.

Each representation has two elements: signifier and meaning. The first refers to the physical component of the representation. For example, the letters that make up a word, or the traces of a drawing in a painting. 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 psychological. This allows the subject to distance himself from the present situation, and open up to distant places in time and space. In fact, this ability gives us the ability to create fictional worlds that only exist in our imagination.

Types of representations

Saussure, a philosopher, classified representations into three different types. They differ from each other according to the degree of connection between the meaning and the signifier.

• Indices or signs In this case, the signifier and the meaning are not differentiated from each other. Both have a direct connection. An example might be seeing gnawed food on our kitchen floor and inferring that there are rats around. The food remains are, in this case, acting as an index.

• Symbols. In this other case, the signifier is independent of the signified. There is, however, some kind of relationship between them. The drawings, pictures and photographs would be symbols of what they are representing. For example, a kite design is not the real object, but there is a strong relationship between them. This type of representation appears more indirectly in the symbolic game. For example, when a child uses a stick like a sword.
• Signs. Representations are called signs when the signifier is completely arbitrary. The relationship between both elements is established thanks to a long social historical process. Therefore, a person outside this context could not interpret the sign. The clearest example is language. For example, the letters of the word “cat” have nothing to do with what they represent, but still evoke an image in our minds.

The appearance of the semiotic function

The ability to create representation is a skill that develops and becomes more and more present in the last stages of the sensorimotor period of human development, according to Piaget’s developmental stages.

The appearance of the semiotic function, therefore, is not something abrupt. Little by little, the child will use more and more representations and more semiotic behaviors.

From this stage, we can find many examples of semiotic function in children’s behavior:

• Deferred Imitation. It consists in imitating something that is not present. It appears as a preamble to the capacity for representation, since it is an imitation of material acts but not of thoughts. It is considered one of the first semiotic behaviors to appear in the child’s life cycle.

• Symbolic game. This is a very typical childhood activity. Participants in the symbolic game use elements as if those objects were something else – like using sticks as swords. They are, in this way, making use of the semiotic function.
• Design. Another way in which children begin to demonstrate their capacity for representation is through drawing. We have to keep in mind that this activity is much more than a mere copy of reality. When drawing a picture, we represent an internal image in such a way that what is being represented by the child is usually what he or she already knows about the object or scene he is drawing.
• Language. This is semiotic behavior par excellence. When a child starts using speech, we can observe how he uses arbitrary signs, completely separating meaning from signifier.

In conclusion, it is not an exaggeration to say that the semiotic function is one of the most important capacities of the human being. Thanks to her, we were able to create a communication system that allowed us to develop a culture and a history that brought about the advancement and survival of the human community.

Studying and investigating the development of semiotics, therefore, has greatly helped man to deeply understand the strong implications that this ability has in people’s lives.