An Analysis On Print Public Service Advertisement From The Perspective Of Morris's Behavioristic Semiotic

This thesis applying Morris' s Behavioristic Semiotic1 to interpret print public service advertisement is mainly for the following two reasons.Firstly,as far as theoretical basis is concerned,semiotics is not only a discipline,but also an instructional method for the study of other disciplines.Beside,Morris pioneered the introduction of behaviorism into semiotics,utilizing behavior as an objective and visible criterion to explore the interpretant of sign,which provides feasible guidance for the study of signs.Furtherrmore,the studies and applications on Morris' s Behavioristic Semiotic are rare,but Morris' s semiotic theory is based on Peirce's semiotic ideas,so his theory has high research value and is worth to do intensive study and application.Secondly,the choice of print public service advertisement as the data is because that on the one hand,the signs selected in the advertisement are representative and the types are relatively fixed due to the limited space of print public service advertisement.Each sign has a specific signification,which is the result of the designers' careful selection.On the other hand,the ultimate aim of print public service advertising is to influence audience's values through the dissemination of image information,and play an educational role in public behavior,which coincides with Morris' s Behavioristic Semiotic theory,enhancing the feasibility of this thesis.This study has the following findings.Firstly,through analyzing the semiosis of iconic signs and language signs in print public service advertisement,it is found that signs initiate interpreters' different dispositions to response.The choice and use of signs will determine the effect of advertisements.Therefore,selecting the most appropriate and reasonable signs can make advertisements produce twice the result with half the effort.Secondly,print public service advertisement is a sign system as a whole,and it is a tool for the society to guide individual behavior.The combination of signs in the sign system will affect the effectiveness of behavioral guidance.Advertising designers should pay attention to the combination of signs in different signifying modes,and utilize different signs with respect to the characteristics of different phases of action,so as to satisfy the mental needs of the public.Thirdly,Morris' s Behavioristic Semiotic is feasible and reliable in the analysis of advertisements.Interpreting signs from the perspective of behavior provides a new method for analyzing the selection and combination of signs in advertisements.This study has both theoretical and practical contributions.In theory,this paper teases out and applies Morris' s Behavioristic Semiotic theory,proving its feasibility and applicability in sign analysis and broadening the research field.In practice,this study provides a new perspective for the study of print public service advertising.At the same time,through the analysis of advertising signs,it provides a lot of suggestions for advertising designers in the selection,use and combination of signs,contributing to the development of China's public service advertising.