Language versus logic: Responses to misleading classificatory questions

In this study we examined responses to apparent forced-choice questions in which two choices were presented as options and both were correct. The responses suggested by these questions were in conflict with responses based on simple classificatory logic. The results showed that adults, as well as children, were easily misled by the implication of the questions and there was no consistent evidence for increases in the number of logical responses as a function of age. However, when children and adults were initially given set-breaking items designed to sensitize them to the misleading nature of questions, they answered the set-breaking items as well as subsequent test items correctly. The results are consistent with pragmatic theories of language that stress the role of context and intentionality as major determinants of meaning.