Multidimensionality, Subjectivity and Scales: Experimental Evidence

Abstract

This paper investigates the subjective interpretation of the comparative forms of certain gradable adjectives, exploring in particular the hypothesis put forward in several recent works that such ‘ordering subjectivity’ derives from the multidimensional nature of the adjectives in question. Results of an experimental study are presented which demonstrate that ordering subjectivity is more widespread than previously recognized, and that in this respect, gradable adjectives divide into not two but three groups: objective, subjective and mixed. Evidence is also offered that adjectival multidimensionality itself is a heterogenous phenomenon. On the basis of these observations as well as the experimental findings, it is argued that there are two separate sources of ordering subjectivity: multidimensionality and judge dependence. This proposal is formalized within a semantic framework in which gradable adjectives lexicalize families of measure functions indexed to contexts and in some cases judges.

Appendix

This appendix provides the full stimuli (critical items) used in the experiment.

List 1	A: Anna’s apartment is dirtier than Paul’s.
	B: No, Paul’s place is dirtier.
	A: Frank is shorter than Jimmy.
	B: No, Jimmy is the shorter one.
	A: John and Fred look similar but John is a little taller than Fred.
	B: No! Fred is the taller one of the two.
	A: Lea and Marie are both sad but Marie is sadder.
	B: No, Lea is sadder.
	A: Lilian’s car is newer than Noemi’s car.
	B: No, Noemi’s is definitely the more recent one.
	A: My painting is prettier than yours.
	B: No! My painting is definitely prettier than yours.
	A: Susan just got out of the water, but her hair is already drier than mine.
	B: No, it’s not - your hair is definitely drier than Susan’s.
	A: The green towel is wetter than the red one.
	B: No, the red towel is wetter.
	A: This building is older than the building Julia lives in.
	B: No, Julia’s building is older.
	A: The mug is cleaner than the spoon.
	B: The spoon is cleaner than the mug.
	A: This cat is happier than that dog.
	B: No, the dog is the happier one of them.
	A: Those sneakers are uglier than the Converse sneakers you tried on earlier.
	B: No, the Converse sneakers were uglier.
List 2	A: Can I borrow your pencil? Mine is duller than the one you have.
	B: No, my pencil is even duller than yours.
	A: Caryl and Tina both have blond hair, but Caryl’s is lighter than Tina’s.
	B: No, Tina’s hair is definitely lighter than Caryl’s.
	A: Give those kids the green ball to play with, it’s softer than the red one.
	B: No, the red ball is softer.
	A: I would rather use the yellow pillow—it’s harder than the white one.
	B: No, the white pillow is the harder one of the two.
	A: Math is easier than Geography.
	B: Geography is a lot easier than Math!
	A: Take the red knife, it’s sharper than the one you’re using.
	B: No, the knife I have now is sharper than the red one.
	A: The fence in front of Mr. Harington’s house is straighter than the one in front of Mr. Rave’s house.
	B: No, Mr. Rave’s fence is straighter.
	A: The old Ipod Touch 4G is more expensive than the new Ipod Touch 5G.
	B: No, the new one is the more expensive device.
	A: The second line on that graph is more curved than the first one.
	B: No, the first line is more curved than the second.
	A: The walls in the dining room are darker than the walls in the living room.
	B: No, the walls in the living room are darker.
	A: This small piece of paper is smoother than that big piece of paper.
	B: No, the big piece is smoother.
	A: This stone right in front of us is rougher than that one in the back.
	B: No, the stone in the back is rougher.

List 3	A: Frank is shorter than his friend Jimmy.
	B: No, Jimmy is the shorter one.
	A: John and Fred look similar but John is taller than Fred.
	B: No, Fred is the taller one of the two.
	A: Lillian and Nicole both have the same kind of cellphone, but Lillian’s is newer than Nicole’s.
	B: No, Nicole’s phone is newer than Lillian’s.
	A: Look—Tommy’s shirt is dirtier than the one his little brother Billy is wearing.
	B: No, Blly’s shirt is dirtier than Tommy’s.
	A: My apartment building is older than the building Julia lives in.
	B: No, Julia’s building is older.
	A: Susan just got out of the water, but her bathing suit is already drier than mine.
	B: No, it’s not—your bathing suit is drier than Susan’s.
	A: The green towel on the hook is wetter than the blue one.
	B: No, the blue towel is wetter.
	A: The lecture we heard last week was more boring than today’s lecture.
	B: No, today’s lecture was more boring.
	A: The mug you just handed me is cleaner than the one on the counter.
	B: No, the one on the counter is cleaner.
	A: The necklace Susan is wearing today is uglier than the one she had on yesterday.
	B: No, the one she was wearing yesterday was uglier.
	A: The program we watched about India was more interesting than the one about Japan.
	B: No, the program about Japan was the more interesting of the two.
	A: The vase on the table is more beautiful than the one on the bookshelf.
	B: No, the vase on the bookshelf is more beautiful.
List 4	A: I just read the essay John wrote and it is worse than Bill’s.
	B: No it isn’t. The one Bill wrote is worse.
	A: Look at Sue’s new bike—it’s better than Anne’s.
	B: No, Anne’s bike is better.
	A: The cream cake is tastier than the chocolate cookies.
	B: No, the chocolate cookies are tastier.
	A: The math professor is more intelligent than the physics professor.
	B: No, I disagree. The physics professor is the more intelligent one.
	A: The movie theater is emptier today than it was yesterday.
	B: No it wasn’t. It was emptier yesterday.
	A: The roller coaster was more fun than the ferris wheel.
	B: No it wasn’t! The ferris wheel was more fun.
	A: The vegetable soup is saltier than the chicken soup.
	B: No, the chicken soup is saltier.
	A: The wine bottle is fuller than the champagne bottle.
	B: No, the champagne bottle is fuller.