Work

New experimental evidence against the similarity approach to conditionals

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The similarity approach to conditionals (Stalnaker 1968; Lewis 1973) predicts Reciprocity to be valid: whenever A > B, B > A and A > C are true, B > C is true too (where A > B denotes if A would B). We ran an experiment to test the validity of this rule. Strikingly, half of our participants judged the rule invalid, i.e. judged in at least one scenario that it does not preserve truth. Our data also challenge Kratzer’s (2012) and Fine’s (2012) semantics of conditionals, but we show that McHugh’s (2022; 2023) aboutness approach can account for our data.

Source: Proceedings from Semantics and Linguistic Theory

DOI: 10.3765/e03b4r46

Authors: Dean McHugh, Tomasz Klochowicz

Institution: University of Amsterdam

Language: English

Topic: Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

Subfield: Language and Linguistics

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek

Awards: G5866100518, Nothing is Logical (NihiL): Neglect-zero effects in reasoning and interpretation