A Study on Communication Using Pictograms

传统的交流形式是说话（口头交流），替代形式是手动、触觉或视觉交流。在本研究中，一种最初在加拿大开发的名为PIC的象形文字通信系统被修改为易于在日本使用。在调查过程中，由50名成人学生主观评定了400个象形文字和表意文字的每个符号的透明度和生态效度。根据结果，由于加拿大和日本特定的文化差异，在400个符号中增加了24个符号，修改了6个符号。除了上面提到的心理调查外，日本版的交流训练计划也被开发出来，这与1980年加拿大开发的原版交流训练计划有很大的不同。本研究的另一个独特之处在于，提出了一种使用象形图进行语际交流的尝试性方法，即在某种语言上有困难的说话者可以在说话的同时利用日语版PIC的424个符号与他人进行交流。

The conventional form of communication is speaking (verbal communication) and the alternatives would be manual, tactile, or visual communication. In the present study, a system of pictogram communication named PIC,which was originally developed in Canada, was modified to be easily used in Japan.During the investigation, the transparency and ecological validity of each symbol of 400 pictograms and ideograms was subjectively rated by fifty adult students. According to the results, 24 symbols were added and the six of the 400 symbols were modified, because of the specific intercultural discrepancy between Canada and Japan.In addition to the psychological investigation mentioned above, Japanese version of communication training program was developed, which is quite unique and so different from the original version which had been developed in Canada in 1980.Another unique aspect of the present research is that a tentative approach to interlingual communication using pictograms was proposed, in which a speaker with difficulties in a certain language can communicate with others utilizing the 424 symbols of Japanese version of PIC as well as speaking at the same time.