The process of answering direction-giving questions when someone is lost on a university campus: The role of pragmatics

Jonathan M. Golding, Arthur C. Graesser, Jerry Hauselt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

Two experiments investigated how college students answered direction-giving questions when a confederate asked for directions to a destination on a university campus. The experiments applied the QUEST model (Graesser and Franklin, 1990) to direction giving, emphasizing the pragmatic component of the model that focuses on establishing common ground and dealing with the questioner's goals. The two experiments had different articulations of the direction-giving question (i.e. 'How do you get to destination X?' versus 'Where is destination X?'), and a different destination. The answers generated by subjects supported both aspects of the pragmatic component.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)23-39
Number of pages17
JournalApplied Cognitive Psychology
Volume10
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1996

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)

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