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The development of directives: how children ask and tell*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

J. Kathryn Bock  and
Mary E. Hornsby
J. Kathryn Bock
Affiliation:
Michigan State University
Mary E. Hornsby
Affiliation:
University of Oregon
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Abstract

The ability to differentiate the directive senses of ask and tell was investigated using a production task in an experimental setting with children between the ages of 2; 6 and 6; 6. Results showed that the children at all ages distinguished the verbs along dimensions sensitive to adult ratings of politeness. There was a trend towards increased politeness with age under ask instructions, but not with tell instructions. Analyses of structural features of the directives produced showed that the interrogative form was more likely to be used with ask instructions, as was the word please, while tell instructions elicited the imperative, with less frequent use of please. The findings suggest that children before the age of 7; 0 are able to differentiate the illocutionary forces of utterances which have the same communicative intention.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , February 1981 , pp. 151 - 163
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

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Footnotes

[*]

A version of this paper was presented at the Stanford Child Language Research Forum, March 1977. We should like to thank the parents, teachers and children at the First Congregational Nursery School, Kiddie Kollege, and Bethesda Lutheran School in Eugene, Oregon for their co-operation. Kathryn Kavanagh assisted in running the subjects. Address for correspondence: J. Kathryn Bock, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824.

References

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