Perception and multimeaning analysis of graphic symbols for Thai picture-based communication system

Abstract

Graphic symbols are a vital part of most augmentative and alternative communication systems. Communication fluency of graphic symbol user depends on how well the relationship between symbols and its referents are learnt. The first aim of this study is to survey the perception of the selected graphic symbols across seven age groups of participants with different educational background. Sixty-five individuals identified themselves as Thai and ranged in age from 10 to 50 years participated in the investigation used 64 graphic symbols. The last aim of this study is to demonstrate the analysis of multimeaning graphic symbols, which will be used in Thai Picture-based communication system. The twenty graphic symbols with 9–14 meanings are analyzed in both syntactic and semantic aspects. The meanings are divided into five categories: noun, verb/adjective, size, color and shape. Respect to the first aim, the results suggest that the participants under investigation with different sexes, age groups, as well as various educational levels perceive the features or inherent characteristics of such graphic symbols similarly. The results of the analysis of multimeaning of graphic symbols indicate that the foundation of Minspeak, polysemy and redundancy of the words illustrates the inherit meanings of the real-life objects, and it also conveys that the Thai graphic symbols are influenced by numerous factors in Thai circumstance such as ability, motivation, experience, worldview and culture.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Graphic symbols have been used in sequences for coding language in Minspeak, which is known commercially as an acronym for minimum effort speech.

• Graphic symbols are also a means of augmenting or providing alternative communication for individuals with little or no functional speech.

• Perception of graphic symbols can be influenced by many factors: features or inherent characteristics of symbol set/system, individual’s own abilities and motivation, selected vocabulary and individual’s previous experience and world knowledge.

• This paper shows the perception of the selected graphic symbols across seven age groups of Thai participants with different educational background, and the analysis of multimeaning graphic symbols also.

Keywords::

• Augmentative and alternative communication
• graphic symbols
• iconicity
• multimeaning icons
• perception

Declaration of Interest: The authors report no declarations of interest.