Cognitive Psychology, Professor Kruschke
Language and Inference
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Utterances are inherently ambiguous.
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Normal people automatically integrate
multiple sources of information, and
apply background knowledge, to
spontaneously infer unstated meaning.
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Usually the inferred meaning is intended and true.
Thus, normal cognition is usually highly efficacious.
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When the inferred meaning is not intended,
it can be humorous, or it can cause fights.
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When the inferred meaning is intended but false,
then it's probably an advertisement
or political rhetoric.
Copyright © 2000 John K. Kruschke