COST Action CA17132 - APPLY
European Network for Argumentation and Public Policy Analysis

(2021) “Presupposition, Attention and Cognitive Load” by Edoardo Lombardi Vallauri

The paper deals with the relation between linguistic presupposition and epistemic vigilance. It proposes evolutionary and cognitive reasons why presuppositions should induce shallower processing, that proves effective in persuasion and manipulation. It shows examples of presuppositions being associated with reduced critical attention from commercial advertising and political propaganda. It summarizes the available experimental verification of this assumption, commenting on the fact that behavioural evidence confirms reduced attention for presupposed contents, while neurophysiological evidence, on the contrary, shows increased processing effort. An explanation for the apparent contradiction is proposed, namely that the measured effort accounts for the mismatch between the cognitive and contextual status of new information and its being linguistically presented as presupposed. The fact that processing resources are devoted to repairing the mentioned mismatch is seen as further reducing the attentional resources available for epistemic vigilance and critical evaluation.

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COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding agency for research and innovation networks. Our Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and enable scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers. This boosts their research, career and innovation.

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COST Action CA17132

Providing and criticising reasons is indispensable to achieve sound public policy that commands the support of both citizens and stakeholders. This need is now widely acknowledged in the recent literature and key EU documents, which highlight the perils of populist discourse and policies.

Action Contacts

Andreia Domingues - Grant Manager [CA 17132]
NOVA - FCSH | Avenida de Berna, 26 C
1069-061 Lisboa - Portugal
hello.apply@fcsh.unl.pt

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