The commutation test is a key semiotic tool that shows how swapping elements of a text or image affects their meanings.
What is the commutation test?
The commutation test is a method of analysis used in semiotics to study the meaning and structure of signs. Specifically, it involves replacing one element (e.g., a word or image) with another to see how such a change affects the meaning of the whole message. For instance, this can be accomplished by substituting the chosen sign with its synonym, antonym, or another similar element. Consequently, by comparing the original version with the versions after the substitutions, we can analyze which elements are most important to preserve the original meaning and which can be altered without significantly impacting the overall message. Thus, this method not only enhances our understanding of signs but also reveals the nuances of meaning within different contexts.
This method helps to discover which parts of the message are key and which are less important. For example, if we analyse an image, we can change the colour or background to see how this affects our feelings and interpretation of the whole. In this way, the commutation test allows us to see how individual elements contribute to the overall meaning of an image or text.
The commutation test, as a tool for semiotic analysis, was introduced by Roland Barthes. Moreover, he described it as a way of exploring how changing elements of meaning affects the overall meaning of a message. Furthermore, Barthes employed the commutation test in the context of both linguistic and visual analyses, thereby helping to determine the meaning and value of particular signifiers within cultural codes (Barthes, 1968). Consequently, this method not only enhances our understanding of signs but also illustrates the intricate relationships between different elements in communication.
The commutation test in contemporary media studies
I often use the commutation test in my semiotic analyses, including those presented on this blog. See, for example, the analysis of The Cure’s new album or the poster for the film Conclave. Also, we find this test in contemporary research. For example, in a study on the semiotics of marriage, researchers used the commutation test to analyze the relationship between signs at the denotative and connotative levels. So this approach revealed the complexity of marriage’s meaning as a cultural symbol (Erfiani, Sukarsih, & Jayantini, 2022).
Another example involves studying visual signs in Carnatic music videos, where researchers use this technique to analyze the impact of cultural sub-codes on music perception by replacing neutral visuals with contrasting ones (Narayanan & Dhanavel, 2021). In the context of cyber hate, this test compares victim blaming in cyberspace to the analogy of car theft, offering a critical assessment of dominant ideas about responsibility (Jane, 2017).
Bibliography
Barthes, R. (1968). Elements of semiology. Macmillan.
Erfiani, N. M. D., Sukarsih, N. N. T., & Jayantini, I. G. A. S. R. (2022). The Meaning of Marriage. A Semiotic Point of View. Linguistics and Culture Review, 6(1), 284-298. https://doi.org/10.21744/lingcure.v6n1.2231
Jane, E. A. (2017). Gendered Cyberhate, Victim-blaming, and Why the Internet is More Like Driving a Car on a Road than Being Naked in the Snow. In E. Martellozzo, & E. Jane (Eds.), Cybercrime and its Victims (1st ed., pp. 61-78). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315637198-4
Narayanan, J., & Dhanavel, S. P. (2021). The Play of Cultural Subcodes in Decoding the Visual Signs of Karnatik Music Videos. Visual Communication Quarterly, 28(3), 166-175. https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2021.1949720