Generics Articulate Default Generalizations

Abstract

Generic sentences express generalizations about kinds, such as "tigers are striped," "ducks lay eggs," and "ticks carry Lyme disease." I present and review emerging evidence from adults and children that suggests that generics articulate cognitively default generalizations-i.e., they express basic, early-developing generalizations concerning kinds. In contrast, quantified statements articulate cognitively more sophisticated and taxing generalizations. Further evidence suggests that generic generalizations don't depend solely on information about prevalence. Instead, these fundamental generalizations are sensitive to a number of content-based factors, such as whether the property in question is dangerous or otherwise striking, or is an essential or characteristic property of the kind. This suggests that our most basic means of forming inductive generalizations is sensitive to rich, content-based factors.

Children's interpretations of general quantifiers, specific quantifiers and generics

“…A range of evidence suggests that generic generalizations, unlike quantified generalizations, are sensitive to rich semantic and causal factors – not just to the statistical prevalence of the property among members of the kind (e.g., Brandone et al, 2012; Cimpian, Brandone, & Gelman, 2010; Cimpian, Gelman, & Brandone, 2010; Khemlani et al, 2012; Leslie, 2008, 2012; Prasada et al, 2013). Thus, if generic generalizations are indeed a fundamental, default mode of generalizing, then this suggests that the cognitive system is profoundly attuned to such factors, which go far beyond unstructured statistical distributions.…”

“…Recently some scholars have proposed that generic generalizations are a default mode of generalization, while more logically precise quantified generalizations are more cognitively sophisticated and taxing (Leslie, 2008, 2012). Evidence in support of this view is that generic generalizations are easier, more automatic, developmentally prior, and more robust than other forms of generalization, such as quantified ones.…”

“…Further, this tendency increases when participants are sped up (Meyer et al, 2011). Additionally, a variety of otherwise puzzling adult reasoning errors concerning universal quantification are also explicable on the hypothesis that adults sometimes default to a generic interpretation of universal statements (Jönsson & Hampton, 2006; Sloman, 1993, 1998; see Leslie, 2012, for discussion).…”

Feminist Radical Empiricism, Values, and Evidence

“…Rather, they are better seen as generalizations about typical behavior in a group, or typical characteristics. Sarah‐Jane Leslie makes a similar point about generics (Leslie ). Logically, after all, a single counterexample to a universal generalization shows that generalization to be false.…”

Perceptions of different syntactic forms of generics: an experimental study

“…For the purpose of the present paper, a new and innovative theory of generics offered by Leslie (2007Leslie ( , 2008Leslie ( , 2012 will be discussed in greater detail. Leslie (2007: 379) puts forward the hypothesis that generics (1) are not quantificational even though their forms bear a resemblance to quantified statements and (2) express the conceptual system's default generalization.…”