Chapter 2 discusses the relationship between language and thought from a methodological perspective. It explores how language has been viewed as a representation of thought, and used as a 'window' to human cognition, across various disciplines, spanning cognitive science, psycholinguistics, and other areas. In cognitive science, unconstrained verbal production data are frequently used to investigate dynamic cognitive processes, whereas psycholinguistic approaches address cognitively significant distinctions between a set of available options in controlled situations, typically with a focus on language production and comprehension. Following a general outline of other relevant disciplines and areas in which cognition is addressed through language, this chapter spells out in some detail how CODA builds on, relates to, and is distinct from both of these most central approaches.

Chapter 5 turns to cognitive depth, another aspect of our thinking that is regularly reflected in the way we formulate our thoughts. On the one hand, we can think things through, and formulate them in language, in much detail, or we can remain on the surface, sticking to the mere essentials. A focus on granularity patterns in linguistic analysis therefore provides insights into the speaker’s conceptualisations relative to a situation context, aspects attended to in depth, and diversity between individuals and types of situations. On the other hand, we can be more or less certain about what we describe, reflecting our expertise or the uncertainty of the subject matter itself. Variability in certainty adds a dimension of reliability to the speaker’s contribution, which is decisive for assessing the status of relevant concepts. Both aspects, granularity and certainty, work together, as experts will often be able to look into things in much more depth than novices – but on the other hand they don’t always need to, as they quickly recognise patterns that they’ve come across before.

Chapter 6 addresses two ways in which our minds can be constructive: either by making inferences on the basis of what’s already there – filling in gaps of information, or by transforming what’s there into something new. This twofold ability of the human mind to construct is basic to our existence, enabling us to go beyond what we encounter around us. The way we talk reflects both inference and transformation processes systematically. Inference involves taking observable facts and combining them with further knowledge or assumptions, in order to come to new insights or conclusions that aren’t directly observable. Transformation, on the other hand, involves taking observable facts or objects and turning them into something different, something that isn’t yet there but that can be accomplished using available tools and operators. Chapter 6 looks at each of these processes of cognitive constructiveness in turn.

literature and in previous CODA projects as being indicative of specific cognitive aspects. This overview provides quick access to these core linguistic concepts which will be of particular interest for researchers using CODA, along with a brief definition and pointers to the chapters where the concepts are introduced and explored in depth.

This chapter addresses the question of how the study of affect in the semiotic landscape can be done in a theoretically coherent way that can lead to insightful analytical payoffs. The chapter outlines a theoretical framework that serves to provide a concrete theorization of Wissinger’s (2007) description of affect as socially ‘contagious energy’. The actual mechanisms by which affect is materialized, circulates and becomes ‘whipped up or dampened’ are systematically articulated.

This chapter examines the ways in which areas such as luxury housing projects and enclaves are structured as luxurious, desirable and valuable by virtue of being unattainable by the general public. The nature of such “Veblen goods” is primarily to confer preeminent stature upon the owner; as such, they have to be strictly demarcated as being both desired by the majority of people, and also distinctly out of their reach. The chapter shows how dialectical tension between strong desire and distinct unattainability relies on a complex semiotics combining some of the elements of conviviality (safety, acceptance, comfort and well-being) with quite different elements of awe, superiority and rejection.

This chapter addresses the issue of boundaries: how are the boundaries established between one site where a particular kind of affect is being fostered and another site where some other affect is either encouraged or where the affect fostered by the former site is no longer a relevant concern? The chapter begins with a brief consideration of various attempts to demarcate specific sites as ‘friendly’. This gives a sense of what the semiotics of conviviality might look like. The latter half of the chapter comprises a detailed case study of a ‘dementia-friendly’ neighborhood in Singapore.

This chapter addresses the broad question what it means to talk about a semiotic landscape in the era of late modernity, given the complexities observed and arguments presented in the preceding chapters. It identifies three possible lines of future research that are likely to only gain in significance and urgency: the digitalization of third places, the experience economy, and the dynamics of affective regimes.

This chapter focuses on communication that takes place via new communicative technologies, particularly social media. The chapter begins with a discussion of the R-word campaign, which analyses some of the strategies and techniques that are being used to mobilize affect on the Internet. This is followed by a detailed analysis of trolling and cyber bullying, and attempts to combat it by calling for ‘safer, friendlier internet’. The key issue being examined in this chapter is the relationship between online behavior and the real world, since it is the presumed demarcation between the two domains that allows trolls and bullies to act as they do.

Chapter 3 illustrates what might be considered a relatively transparent attempt at regulating affect: the use of figures that are considered kawaii, a Japanese term meaning ‘cute’ or ‘adorable’. An examination of how kawaii figures are employed by various municipal authorities in Tokyo brings to light just how affect works when linguistic and non-linguistic modalities are combined. The use of kawaii in public signage, especially in the form of cartoon figures, brings to light and helps exemplify Ahmed’s (2004a, b) claim that affect circulates via the use of characters that tend to evoke specific cultural stereotypes.

This chapter describes the ways in which a set of ‘romance’ signs create a landscape as the site of an individual adventure, journey of growth, and path to fulfilment. The structuring of romance affects is not only prolific in literature and folk tales, but has all kinds of implications for geophysical landscapes as well: from touristic discourses which describe specific destinations as sites of ‘romance’ and ‘adventure,’ to film narratives which intersect with tourism by leveraging on viewer fandom to popularize certain film locations, to the semiotics of amusement parks and other attractions.