New data on the 'triggering problem' for presuppositions

Abstract

The paper addresses the question which entailments of complex expressions are more likely to become presupposed meaning (the ‘triggering problem’) by discussing new experimental evidence. Exploiting a word learning paradigm based on visual animations (Bade, Schlenker & Chemla to appear), the experiment discussed tests the predictions of different theories for change of state verbs. The findings suggest that initial states are more likely to be presupposed, whereas result states are spontaneously construed as asserted meaning. Results also show that the change of state itself can be more or less at-issue, depending on whether the result or initial state is salient.