Theory of motives in protoconversation and games; how meanings are shared in movement, without words

I - Theory of motives in protoconversation and games; how meanings are shared in movement, without words, Professor Colwyn Trevarthen (Institute for Music and Human Development, University of Edimburgh)

“As Lições dos Mestres” Colóquios 2009
Quarta-feira, 21 de Janeiro | 18h30
Auditório 2 – 3º andar | Torre B
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas - UNL

Research on communication before language that uses detailed measurement and subjective categories of description to interpret movements has proved that infants are born with a sense of time and emotions that match those of a sympathetic adults ‘intersubjectively’. Acoustic analysis of the voices of mother and infant proves that they share and negotiate feelings and movements by controlling pulse, expressive quality and narrative in their dialogue — they show Communicative Musicality in all their movements of communication. This theory has applications for teaching, for assessment of problems in early developmenrt, and for therapy and special education. It can also explain why methods that use predefined cognitive and behavioural categories to assess communication, or to diagnose faults in development of communication, may give a false picture of elementary processes in intelligence. A more coherent understanding of how development is adapted to intentional and social life requires inferences concerning the coordination and adaptive guidance of body actions by motives, self-andother regulating emotions and cooperative awareness.