Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M7486

Conversational Implicature

Conversational Implicature
StructureHigh supportLogic
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

In conversation, people often violate literal logic (e.g., asking "What time is it?" and answering "The mailman just left"), and the listener must infer the implied meaning based on context. This relies on the cooperative principle.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Translating subtext. When you hear an illogical response, don't assume the other person is foolish. They are conveying implicit information by "violating the maxims." Ask yourself: Why did they answer this way? What are they implying?

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Grice's cooperative principle (quantity/quality/relation/manner): when a speaker apparently violates a maxim yet is still understood as cooperative, the listener infers the "implicature"; meaning depends on context rather than literal words.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

  • link
    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImplicatureZH · Explicit
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