Functional diversity of silence in communicative situation: the emergence of silence as a marker of reflection in children’s messages

Abstract

We studied the functional diversity of silence in a communicative situation involving children. We were especially interested in the types of silence that are expressions of reflection or inner speech. We designed a longitudinal study with ten pairs of children aged 4;6, 6;6 and 8;6 years participating in a referential communication task under the supervision of an adult. We distinguished between different verbal and non-verbal categories: among the most relevant were mes-sages with silences in the formulation, messages with audible elements of reflection or private speech, and triad silences. The study demonstrated a tendency, at the developmental level, to internalize the audible elements of reflection that appear in the messages, as well as a connection between the presence of messages with silence and the capacity to modify the information at 8;6 years of age. In addition, there was a decrease in the triad silences and categories that express parallel adult guidance, and finally an increase in children’s interventions. In conclusion we suggest that the relationship between silence as a marker of reflection and the processes of communicative control becomes increasingly profound. Key words: silence, private speech, children’s communication, functional diversity.