Focus and the interpretation of quantifiers in face-threatening contexts

Natural language quantifiers (e.g., few, many, not much) and probability expressions (e.g., likely, possible, not probable) are used to communicate information about quantities, frequencies, and probabilities. A great deal of psychological research addressed the role of these expressions in communication and thinking. Some of the problems addressed include how quantifiers and probability expressions are mentally represented, the range of quantitative values they can convey in different contexts, how speakers choose appropriate expressions, how listeners interpret their meaning, and how they are used in reasoning and decision making (Geurts, 2003; Moxey & Sanford, 2000; Sanford & Moxey, 2004; Teigen & Brun, 1999, 2003). Empirical evidence suggests that these expressions are more than just vague expressions of quantities. In this paper we will focus on two functions of quantifiers: first, perspective effects due to quantifier focus, and second, the use of quantifiers as facemanaging devices. An important property of quantifiers which was studied in a series of studies by Sanford and Moxey (Moxey, 2006; Moxey & Sanford, 2000; Sanford, Dawydiak, & Moxey, Focus and the interpretation of quantifiers in face-threatening contexts