THE INTERPRETATION OF ABSURD VERBAL ITEMS OF DIFFERENT DEGREES OF COMPLEXITY

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

An absurdity is an irrational, arbitrary or nonsensical saying that makes no sense. It is the opposite to reason. Absurdities are useful to inquire into the decoding and processing of semantic data as well as giving us access to thought given that they include concepts. This paper studies the interpretation of 7 verbal absurdities with different degrees of complexity. They include both everyday concepts and scientific concepts. Depending on the type of concept, the number of absurdities that each item includes and the age, it was hypothesised that this interpretation will be found more frequently in university students.

TREATMENT AND PROCEDURE

This research analyses the interpretation that 50 students from 7th form from primary school and 157 university students make of verbal absurdities with different degrees of complexity. The data collected was examined on the basis of comparative, qualitative and transversal analysis.

RESULTS

University students displayed a better performance at the time of interpreting the 4 compared items, this association was statistically observed in 3 of them.

The interpretation of spontaneous concepts did not depict differences between both groups.

Compared to primary school students, university students construed a higher number of scientific concepts. The former had a significant statistical difference in the interpretation of spontaneous concepts.

It was proven that, in comparison to students who are between twelve and thirteen years old, students who are eighteen years old or older are able to analyse a higher number of absurdities.

CONCLUSION

Results obtained indicate that the interpretation of absurd verbal items is improved by the years that the subject spent in its formal education.