Getting the point of conditionals: An argumentative approach to the psychological interpretation of conditional premises

Abstract

Processes that govern the interpretation of conditional statements by lay reasoners are considered a key issue by nearly all reasoning psychologists. An argumentative approach to interpretation is outlined, based on the idea that one has to retrieve the intention of the speaker to interpret a statement, and an argumentative based typology of conditionals is offered. Some empirical support to the approach is provided, as well as some theoretical support from an evolutionary perspective.