Mental scanning

Objectivity vs subjectivity

We tend to believe that we see the world objectively as it is; at the same time, however, we are part of the world we perceive and inevitably bring in our own relation to the world. A speaker may also construe a scene more objectively or more subjectively. Objectivity refers to the construal of a scene as detached from the speaker, subjectivity refers to the construal of a scene in which the speaker is involved. Compare the following political statements:

a. “The President is determined to fight a war on terrorism.”

b. “I will hunt down the terrorists.”

c. “There may still be weapons of mass destruction.”

Sentence (a) might be said by the spokesman of the White House, who describes the President’s policy in objective terms: the speaker is not part of the scene described. The same wording might, however, also be used by the President in speaking of himself as the President. In doing so he gives an “objectified” view of himself as the institutionalised representative of the country. In using the speaker pronoun I in sentence (b), the speaker includes himself as a participant of the scene described — in this respect the perspective is subjective. At the same time, however, the speaker describes his role like that of any other participant in the scene — in this respect the perspective is also objective. Sentence (c) involves a maximally subjective perspective of the scene: the speaker gives his subjective view of the situation described without overtly mentioning himself. This is achieved by using the modal verb may, which expresses the speaker’s assessment of the situation as being potential.

In the same way that we may visually scan a mountain range, we may mentally scan a situation. Mental scanning refers to the construal of a situation with respect to its phasing in time. The sentences below illustrate two modes of mental scanning, e.g. sequential scanning and summary scanning:

a. The couple next door have adopted a baby.

b. Another couple down the road want to adopt a baby, too.

c. Adopting a baby can be a joyful experience.

d. Older couples cannot apply for the adoption of a baby.

In sentence (a), we mentally “scan” the whole process of adopting a child as it unfolds in time. This mode of viewing a situation in its successive phases is described as sequential scanning. In language, sequential scanning is manifested in the use of tense, i.e. any situation that is described by a tensed verb form involves sequential scanning. In sentence (a), the present tense verb have prompts sequential scanning of the phases of the situation.

Te other three sentences involve summary scanning. Summary scanning applies to a mode of viewing in which all the phases of a situation are activated simultaneously, i.e. the situation is seen as timeless. In language, summary scanning is manifested in the lack of tense, i.e. situations whose descriptions do not contain a tensed verb involve summary scanning. In (b) and (c), the timelessness of the infinitive adopt and the gerund adopting invokes summary scanning, in (d), the timelessness of the noun adoption has this effect.

Дата добавления: 2014-01-11