“Parents lie to their children about sex to spare them knowledge they think their children are not ready for, just as their children when they become adolescents, will conceal sexual adventures because the parents won't understand. Lies occur between friends, witness and jury, lawyer and client, salesperson and customer. Lying is such a central characteristic of life that better understanding of it is relevant to almost all human affairs.” (Ekmann 2009:23)
But what is a lie and which features make an utterance becoming a lie?
Two possible theories for a semantic analysis of lie exist, one the one hand the theory of semantic features, and on the other other hand the semantic prototype theory.
This paper will deal with a prototypical analysis of lie.
At first both theories will be shortly explained and it will be explained why the prototype theory is more suitable for the analysis of, than the theory of semantic features. Then a prototype schema for lie, as well as a prototype analysis of lie will be given.
To confirm the general prototype hypothesis, the prototype definition of lie, and other hypotheses that will be made, an experiment of Coleman and Kay will be explained and its results will be analyzed.
To check and confirm the hypotheses of Coleman and Kay again, two fellow students and me did the same experiment within the context of our presentation about linguistic clues to lie detection. The expectations we had and the results will be presented and our results will be compared with that of Coleman and Kay.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Theory of semantic features vs. Prototype theory
- Theory of semantic features
- Prototype theory
- Prototype schema for lie
- Prototype analysis of lie
- Experiment
- Prototype analysis of the example stories
- Results Coleman and Kay
- Expectations and results of our experiment
- Comparison of the results of Coleman and Kay and of our experiment
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper investigates the concept of "lie" through a prototypical analysis. It aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of prototype theory in understanding the fuzziness of semantic categories, particularly when dealing with complex concepts like lying. The paper will explore the theory of semantic features, contrasting it with the prototype theory, and establish the suitability of prototype theory for analyzing "lie". It will then develop a prototype schema for "lie" and analyze its application.
- Prototype theory as a framework for semantic analysis
- Comparison of semantic feature theory and prototype theory
- Developing a prototype schema for "lie"
- Experimental verification of prototype theory applied to "lie"
- Identifying the key elements of a prototypical lie
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The paper begins by introducing the concept of lying and highlighting its prevalence in human interactions. It then presents two theoretical frameworks for analyzing word meanings: the theory of semantic features and prototype theory. The paper explains why prototype theory is better suited for analyzing "lie" than the theory of semantic features due to the fuzzy nature of the concept.
Next, a prototype schema for "lie" is presented, outlining the key elements that contribute to the degree of membership in the category of "lie". This is followed by a prototype analysis of "lie", examining the concept's core elements and how they apply to different utterances.
The paper then delves into an experiment conducted by Coleman and Kay, designed to test their hypotheses about the prototypical nature of "lie". The experiment involves analyzing a series of stories, each representing a different configuration of the three elements of the prototype schema. The results of the experiment are presented and analyzed, providing support for the prototype hypothesis.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary focus of this paper is on prototype semantics and its application to the concept of "lie". Key terms include: prototype theory, semantic features, prototype schema, lie, deception, intention, belief, and experimental analysis.
- Quote paper
- Cindy Härcher (Author), 2012, Lie to me. Theory of semantic features vs. Prototype theory, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/264429
