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The Role of Reasoning and Pragmatics in the Modifier Effect
Author(s) -
Strößner Corina,
Schurz Gerhard
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
cognitive science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.498
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1551-6709
pISSN - 0364-0213
DOI - 10.1111/cogs.12815
Subject(s) - inference , cognition , relevance (law) , cognitive psychology , property (philosophy) , psychology , pragmatics , task (project management) , inheritance (genetic algorithm) , noun , relevance theory , unconscious mind , cognitive science , linguistics , computer science , artificial intelligence , epistemology , philosophy , economics , chemistry , biochemistry , management , neuroscience , political science , psychoanalysis , law , gene
Abstract The modifier effect refers to the fact that the perceived likelihood of a property in a noun category is diminished if the noun is modified. For example, “Pigs live on farms” is rated as more likely than “Dirty pigs live on farms.” The modifier effect has been demonstrated in many studies, but the underlying cognitive mechanisms are still unclear. This paper reports two series of experiments that jointly point to the conclusion that the modifier effect is the result of a superposition of three cognitive mechanisms: (a) probabilistically softened default inheritance, (b) pragmatic implicatures due to Gricean relevance assumptions, and (c) inference based on world knowledge. We present evidence that the pragmatic effects operate largely on an unconscious level and that their influence can be reduced by changing the presentation format of the cognitive task.