A Similarity-Based Signaling Game

Studies in Logic, Vol. 15, No. 3 (2022): 73–88   PII: 1674-3202(2022)-03-0073-16

Liping Tang

Abstract.

Language use and pragmatic inference frequently involve similarity reasoning. Based on the classical Lewis’s signaling game, we propose a novel signaling game based on the similarity reasoning and the propositional contents of the signals. Within the new similarity-based signaling game, we discuss that the new game can select the best signals even when the available signals are less structured than what we want to communicate. Moreover, we apply our model to Horn’s analysis of division of labors in Pragmatics.