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Volume 9, Issue 1
February 1982 , pp. 209-216

Ambiguity and implicature in children's

discourse comprehension*
Sally Jackson (a1) and Scott Jacobs (a1)

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000900003718
Published online: 26 September 2008
Abstract
21 first graders and 20 third graders were told to pick drawings of clowns out of an array on the basis of
ambiguous messages. One of the messages could be taken to refer to either of two clowns, depending
on which interpretive strategy the child employed. The other message could be given no definite
interpretation. Although 23 of 41 children refused to make a definite choice for the second message, 31
specified choices for the first message. First graders applied an Antecedence Maxim strategy. Third
graders used a Quantity Maxim strategy.
Hypothesized that children's apparent inability to detect message ambiguity reflects neither ignorance
of conventions of cooperative exchange nor inattention to their application. The alternative possibility
that their performance reflects an active misapplication of the conventions was explored. 21 1st graders
and 20 3rd graders were told to pick drawings of clowns out of an array on the basis of ambiguous
messages. One of the messages could be taken to refer to either of 2 clowns, depending on which
interpretive strategy the S employed. The other message could be given no definite interpretation.
Although 23 of the Ss refused to make a definite choice for the 2nd message, 31 specified choices for
the 1st message. Findings indicate that 1st graders applied an Antecedence Maxim strategy, whereas
3rd graders used a Quantity Maxim strategy. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, 21 first
graders and 20 third graders were told to pick drawings of clowns out of an array on the basis of
ambiguous messages. One of the messages could be taken to refer to either of two clowns, depending
on which interpretive strategy the child employed. The other message could be given no definite
interpretation. Although 23 of 41 children refused to make a definite choice for the second message, 31
specified choices for the first message. First graders applied an Antecedence Maxim strategy. Third
graders used a Quantity Maxim strategy.all rights reserved)

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COPYRIGHT: © Cambridge University Press 1982
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