abstractMeanings communicated with depictions constitute an integral part of how speakers and signers actually use language (Clark, 2016). Recent studies have argued that, in sign languages, depicting strategy like constructed action (CA), in which a signer enacts the referent, is used for referential purposes in narratives. Here, we tested the referential function of CA in a more controlled experimental setting and outside narrative context. Given the iconic properties of CA we hypothesized that this strategy could be used for efficient information transmission. Thus, we asked if use of CA increased with the increase in the information required to be communicated. Twenty-three deaf signers of LIS described unconnected images, which varied in the amount of information represented, to another player in a director–matcher game. Results revealed that participants used CA to communicate core information about the images and also increased the use of CA as images became informatively denser. The findings show that iconic features of CA can be used for referential function in addition to its depictive function outside narrative context and to achieve communicative efficiency.

中文翻译：

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在 LIS（意大利手语）中使用描绘进行有效沟通

摘要通过描述传达的意义构成说话者和手语者实际使用语言的一个组成部分（克拉克，2016 年）。最近的研究认为，在手语中，描述策略（如构造动作（CA）），其中签名者制定所指对象，用于叙述中的指称目的。在这里，我们在更受控的实验环境和外部叙事背景下测试了 CA 的指称功能。鉴于 CA 的标志性特性，我们假设该策略可用于有效的信息传输。因此，我们询问 CA 的使用是否随着需要传达的信息的增加而增加。LIS 的 23 名聋人手语者向另一位参与导演匹配游戏的玩家描述了不相关的图像，这些图像所代表的信息量各不相同。结果显示，参与者使用 CA 来传达有关图像的核心信息，并且随着图像变得更加密集，CA 的使用也增加了。研究结果表明，CA的标志性特征除了具有叙事语境之外的描述功能外，还可以用于指称功能，从而实现交际效率。