The impact of culture on the perceptions of graphic symbols in kindergarten age children
Abstract
Graphic symbols have been used for many years as a means of augmenting or providing alternative communication for individuals with little or no functional speech. Brown (1977, 1978) suggests factors that can affect an individual's perception of symbols, one of which is culture. Researchers in the last decade have suggested the cultural background of an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) user might have an important influence on his or her perception and use of graphic symbols. The current study was designed to investigate perception of graphic symbols in Kindergarten aged children across two cultural backgrounds Spanish and English. Two groups totaling 22 subjects participated in two tasks measuring iconicity (transparency and translucency). Results indicated no significant difference between the two groups as a whole, but there were statistically significant differences for some of the individual symbols. Results are discussed at the word level and implications are provided in the discussion. The major limitation if the study was the small sample size.
Degree
M.S.
Advisors
Lloyd, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Communication|Developmental psychology
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