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