The pragmatic perspective of communication focuses on the system of behaviour within which the communication is taking place. In essence, it comprises of a system of interlocking, independent behaviours that becomes patterned over time. An analogy that could be drawn is that this form of communication is liken to a game of trial and error.
In response to an article released on September 7, 2010, titled ‘Cry Translator 1.2 App for iPhone – Infant Helper Awarded Medal of Gold,’ let us take the example of an infant and a caregiver as an illustration to demonstrate the concept of pragmatic perspective of communication.
Crying is probably the only way a newborn infant can convey their messages across in order to manipulate and acquire what they desire. All caretakers strive to achieve the ability of interpreting the infant’s cries, and thereby making the appropriate responses sensitively. With technological advancement in today’s society, the iPhone has since made a breakthrough in coming up with a cry translator which basic function is to decode the cries of an infant.
With reference to the article, it is understood that the iPhone’s cry translator aids in this process of identification wheres it serves as an effortless alternative to decode and analyse the causes of crying in babies. This application is also highly feasible as an output will be given within a time span of not more than ten seconds.
Crying in infants advances through a series of stages discussed below.
Fussing: Involves intermittent moaning or cry-like sounds that are widely spaced in time and emitted in an arrhythmic pattern. This form of crying is sensitive to immediate feedback and ceases most of the time when attention is given.
Phonated: If fussing is not attended to appropriately, the infant typically progresses to the phonated form of crying. These cries are often associated with a rise-fall melody, with little variation in between successive sounds.
Dysphonated: The crying then becomes dysphonated after the phonated state whereby forceful echalation generate turbulence at the larynx, obscuring the harmonic structure of the rhythmically-emitted cries.
Hyperphonated: Infants who are in pain or hunger extend the variation of their cries abruptly at this level rather than through gradual escalation. In general, cries stimulated by pain and hunger can be exceptionally long, typically has a falling melody which is then followed an increased period of breath holding before production of subsequent cries.
Thus, it can be concluded that variations in crying of the infants reflects pragmatic adjustments in communication to deal with its own varying degree of disregulation, as well as the growing evidence that its caregiver may not be readily available. For example, with the explanation of the cries mentioned above, the infant adopts dysphonated crying as it may well generate higher-amplitude sounds that carry further, increasing the chances of detection by the caregiver.
The infant can also change its crying structure which symbolises with the use of an assessment system which is conditioned through trial and error. For instance, the vocal changes associated with pain or hunger is designed to induce greater pressure on caregivers so that they can be attended to immediately. This is due to the shifts in spectral distribution of acoustic energy, the increase in fundamental frequency and shortening of cries heightened infant disregulation, induces greater caregiver sympathetic nervous system arousal which will be perceived as more urgent. By employing the same crying structure for the different causes several times over, the infant can produce a desired outcome in all circumstances.
Therefore, it can be said that pragmatic communication discusses how people become independent as they are affected by others within the same environment through different responses of every individual. As a result of this continuous interaction, people work out a set of rules to define what works or does not work for themselves and their counterparts, enabling them to get something out of the game of communication.
References:
1.Owings, D. H. & Zeifman, D. M. Human Infant Crying as an Animal Communication System: Insights from an Assessment/Management Approach. Retrieved September 9, 2010, from: http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/Courses/Schank/PSC113-f03/week3/Lecture5/InfantCrying.pdf
2. Iphone Organisation. Cry Translator 1.2 App for iPhone – Infant Helper Awareded Medal of Gold. Retrieved September 9, 2010, from: http://iphonews.org/cry-translator-1-2-app-for-iphone-infant-helper-awarded-medal-of-gold
3. Cry Translator – The iPhone Application to Understand Baby Crying . Retrieved September 9, 2010, from: http://www.crytranslator.com/
Janice Tan 
14 comments
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October 30, 2010 at 2:06 am
welnayeo
This is so interesting! i never knew that apps can be able to translate baby crying to a message which adults can be able to understand! Definetely a very good way to talk about Pragmatic perspective! 🙂
November 2, 2010 at 4:05 am
Adam
This invention is truly brilliant! It would definitely help all caregivers in their duties especially those without any experiences in taking care of a child. I think the pragmatic approach applies to all relationships as well. Couples try out methods initially and then settle for something they think will work on their partners.
November 2, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Steph
Babies are a handful and with this new creation, i’m sure it’ll lighten the workload of many parents. They will not be so stressed over the child’s cries and are more likely to handle situations in a calm manner. However, over reliance on technology like this can easily backfire. I’m sure this is something we all know. If for some reason, one day the application is down or gets shut down, users are more likely to be at a loss and mess up the situation since they do not get accustomed to analysing the cry personally through trial and error.
November 2, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Allan
This must be another drawing factor for all people with children to buy the iphone. Iphone is really innovative in identifying the needs of the consumers and coming up with solutions in a prompt manner. I am sure in time to come, all the applications can be so revolutionary that a iphone is what people need to control mundane tasks like even turning on the aircon or television.
November 2, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Evelyn
I sense a propaganda. Maybe the future will not be ruled by Barrack Obama, Lee Kuan Yew and the likes. They will be ruled by someone called ‘i-‘ and the kingdom called, ‘i-empire.’
November 3, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Kelvin
The pragmatic perspective is definitely a good way for us to get the things that we want and we know that since young. As you have written, babies cry differently to mark different needs. As adults we act differently to achieve what we want too. But due to the fact that we are able to think and analyse responses, we also act differently towards different people to achieve the same outcome as well.
November 3, 2010 at 2:42 am
Jason
I didn’t know babies do use this kind of method to achieve what they want. I thought they cry in the same manner until i read your article. Really interesting how infants are born with the ability to adapt to their environment when they practically know close to nothing.
November 3, 2010 at 3:04 am
Liz
Perhaps that is why babies do not cry out of joy. They cry to satisfy their very basic needs! Why is that when people grow up, tears can have surprisingly different meanings? Are they also conditioned through the pragmatic perspective that tears can help them achieve something?
November 3, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Liting
pragmatic perspective is different for every person and one must constantly try to find out which is the best solution to a problem. this process is too tedious and time consuming and one may give up even before they have found a best possible solution. this is why the invention of a cry translator will be a hit in the market upon its release. it just needs to be marketed in a bigger manner.
November 3, 2010 at 1:32 am
Tim
I think the cry translator can be expanded and improved to analyse the whining of babies too. This can improve the product usefulness tenfolds and caregivers, i am sure, would be willing to spend this kind of money since the generation these days comprises of usually the working class who will not have so much time to spend on understanding the pragmatic approach of infants’ cries.
November 3, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Sam
I think the cries of babies are annoying and the device would have been better if they can just tell us the needs of the baby without them having to even cry.
November 4, 2010 at 8:04 pm
Desmond
Crying of infants may be hard to differentiate and the iphone application might not be able to pick up such minor dissimilarities too. The interpretation of the cry may be wrong and it will waste a lot of time as it does without such applications.
November 4, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Joanna
There are some contradicting points to the application. In one of the advertisement banner, it says, ‘research shows that babies that are responded to consistently and appropriately cry less overall…’ If babies were to cry less after a period of time because they are attended to very effectively for the first few months, what will happen in the next few months if they do not cry? The application cannot detect their needs without cries so are the babies going to suffer the consequence of devices which are meant to be of assistance instead of creating problems in the later future?
November 4, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Weilin
The pragmatic perspective may not work for someone who is hard to fathom. They may have different expectations or change their behaviours constantly. In this situation, it is impossible and pointless to even try to find a way that works for all the times when circumstances are similar because the protagonist in question do not have any fixed behaviours.