In:Vagueness, Ambiguity, and All the Rest: Linguistic and pragmatic approaches
Edited by Ilaria Fiorentini and Chiara Zanchi
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 347] 2024
► pp. 51–83
Chapter 4Vagueness and ambiguity are very different (persuasion
devices)
Published online: 26 September 2024
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.347.04cop
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.347.04cop
Abstract
Without taking a strong theoretical stance on the
terminological boundary between ambiguity and vagueness, we suggest
that, at least when considered as persuasion devices, they are quite
different and almost opposite phenomena. We suggest that vagueness
is effectively persuasive in that it can specifically divert
epistemic vigilance from questionable or unpleasant
contents. Ambiguity, conversely, encodes multiple meanings drawing
additional attention to the message. We support
such claims through examples from markedly persuasive texts and
through the results of a self-paced reading experiment revealing
differences between contextually precise vague expressions (VE),
contextually non-precise VE, and precise expressions.
Article outline
- 1.Vagueness and ambiguity: Different or continuous phenomena?
- 2.Vagueness and ambiguity as persuasion devices
- 2.1Persuasive vagueness
- 2.2Persuasive ambiguity
- 2.3Two different (almost opposite) persuasive processes
- 3.Experimental evidence
- 3.1Previous research and present research hypotheses
- 3.2Design and procedure
- 3.3Results and discussion
- 4.Conclusion
Acknowledgements Notes References
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