Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Decision Making: P-value Method01:09

Decision Making: P-value Method

The process of hypothesis testing based on the P-value method includes calculating the P- value using the sample data and interpreting it.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is proposed. The claim is based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to the claim  is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses:  a null hypothesis would be a neutral statement while the alternative hypothesis can have a...
Decision Making: Traditional Method01:14

Decision Making: Traditional Method

The process of hypothesis testing based on the traditional method includes calculating the critical value, testing the value of the test statistic using the sample data, and interpreting these values.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is decided based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to this claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses, out of which a null hypothesis would be a...
Persuasion Strategies01:52

Persuasion Strategies

Researchers have tested many persuasion strategies, including the foot-in-the door and the door-in-the-face techniques, in a variety of contexts. Ultimately, the principles are effective in selling products and changing people’s attitude, ideas, and behaviors (Cialdini & Goldstein, 2004).
Counterfactual Thinking01:19

Counterfactual Thinking

Counterfactual thinking is a cognitive process wherein individuals mentally reconstruct alternative versions of past events, often beginning with “what if” or “if only.” This reflective mechanism plays a significant role in shaping emotional experiences and guiding future behavior. Though typically triggered by unfavorable or unexpected outcomes, counterfactual thinking can also emerge in mundane, everyday decisions and experiences, revealing its deep entrenchment in human cognition.Types of...
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
Framing Effects03:26

Framing Effects

Information is everywhere and its presentation—such as how and when items are presented—can impact our perceptions and decisions surrounding the info. This broad concept umbrellas framing effects—influences that occur due to the way information is framed in its appearance, whether it’s purely the order or the specific wording of a message. Let’s take a look at numerous ways in which two versions of something can objectively say the same thing, yet we respond in different ways based on the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Pragmatic complexity in metaphor interpretation.

Cognition·2023
Same author

Figurative language communicates directly because it precisely demonstrates what we mean.

Canadian journal of experimental psychology = Revue canadienne de psychologie experimentale·2021
Same author

How metaphors shape the particularities of illness and healing experiences.

Transcultural psychiatry·2020
Same author

Pragmatics Always Matters: An Expanded Vision of Experimental Pragmatics.

Frontiers in psychology·2020
Same author

Do Dyslexics Misread a ROWS for a ROSE?

Reading and writing·2014
Same author

Development of coordination in time estimation.

Developmental psychology·2013
Same journal

Limits to Language Prediction: Findings From Diverse Populations.

Topics in cognitive science·2026
Same journal

There Is More Than Meets the Eye: The Dual Role of Perception in Shaping Color Lexicons.

Topics in cognitive science·2026
Same journal

Inference and Imagination.

Topics in cognitive science·2026
Same journal

Gesture Use Across Different Concepts: Focusing on Cross-Linguistic Diversity.

Topics in cognitive science·2026
Same journal

Exploring Amazonian Cognitive Diversity at Chana Research Station.

Topics in cognitive science·2026
Same journal

Do (We Think That) Plants Have Agency?

Topics in cognitive science·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task
06:08

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Published on: July 22, 2025

Pragmatic choice in conversation.

Raymond W Gibbs1, Guy Van Orden

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA. gibbs@ucsc.edu

Topics in Cognitive Science
|January 19, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study proposes a complexity theory approach to understanding language use in conversation. It explains pragmatic choices by examining the interplay between past utterances and situational context, rather than specialized knowledge.

More Related Videos

Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language
09:27

Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language

Published on: October 13, 2018

Virtual Agent for Real-Time Motivational Interviewing by Integrating Adaptive Nonverbal Behavior and Language Models
07:14

Virtual Agent for Real-Time Motivational Interviewing by Integrating Adaptive Nonverbal Behavior and Language Models

Published on: December 23, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task
06:08

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Published on: July 22, 2025

Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language
09:27

Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language

Published on: October 13, 2018

Virtual Agent for Real-Time Motivational Interviewing by Integrating Adaptive Nonverbal Behavior and Language Models
07:14

Virtual Agent for Real-Time Motivational Interviewing by Integrating Adaptive Nonverbal Behavior and Language Models

Published on: December 23, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Linguistics
  • Cognitive Science
  • Complexity Theory

Background:

  • Traditional pragmatic theories struggle to explain consistent yet variable human speech patterns.
  • Existing models often assume specialized knowledge drives utterance choices.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a novel framework for understanding pragmatic choices in conversation.
  • To explain language behavior using principles from complexity theory.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing complexity theory, specifically the concept of self-organized criticality.
  • Analyzing the influence of utterance history and situational context on discourse.

Main Results:

  • Pragmatic choices emerge from the complex coordination between speakers and communicative tasks.
  • Language behavior is directly specified by conversational history and context.

Conclusions:

  • Pragmatic choice is not governed by a dedicated module but arises dynamically.
  • A complexity-based view offers a more comprehensive explanation for language use in context.