Children's understanding of the speech act of promising

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study determined what types of speech act 5– to 13-year-olds, and adults, would call Promising by asking questions following stories in which a speaker sometimes violated Searle's (1969) rules, by promising an event outside the speaker's control (PREDICTING) or by promising that a past action had been performed (ASSERTING). By 9 years of age children could distinguish between promising and predicting in terms of the speaker's responsibility for the outcome. 11- and 13-year-olds correctly said the speaker did not promise in cases of predicting, but only a few of them were correct for asserting. Even older children said the speaker did not promise when the promise was unfulfilled. Children do not think of promising as simply a speech act. The adult conception is closer to, but not the same, as Searle's.