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Plausibility and Early Theory in Linguistics and Cognitive Science
Giosuè Baggio1, Aniello De Santo2, Nancy Abigail Nuñez3,4
1Department of Language and Literature, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Computational Brain & Behavior
|July 16, 2026
Summary
Plausibility in science is poorly understood. This study identifies two new concepts of plausibility for early-stage theory assessment, distinct from existing criteria.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Science
- Cognitive Science
- Linguistics
Background:
- Plausibility is frequently used to evaluate scientific theories but lacks clear definition and analysis.
- Existing notions of plausibility often function as proxies for other theory assessment criteria like prior probability or coherence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and analyze the concept of plausibility in scientific theory assessment.
- To identify viable notions of plausibility applicable to early-stage theory development.
- To distinguish these notions from established criteria for theory evaluation.
Main Methods:
- Review of philosophical debates on plausibility in science.
- Survey of plausibility's application in linguistics and cognitive science.
- Conceptual analysis to identify and define novel plausibility concepts.
Main Results:
- Existing discussions fail to yield distinct, applicable notions of plausibility.
- Plausibility is often used as a substitute for other theory quality indicators.
- Two novel concepts of plausibility are proposed: formal constraints and epistemic consensus.
Conclusions:
- There is a need for specific plausibility concepts for nascent theories.
- Formal constraints and epistemic consensus offer distinct ways to assess early-stage theories.
- These proposed notions add value beyond traditional criteria for theory evaluation.
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