WHAT IS SO DIFFICULT ABOUT NEGATION

Previous experimental study of this topic suggests that negation is typically difficult to process. This notion, by now widely accepted, seems to rest on a view of negation as an operation on statements. We question this view by arguing that difficulty in processing negatives is a question of a complex of issues concerning the material to be processed, e.g., ambiguity, confusability, and context. Experimental results are presented indicating that a decrease in confusability facilitates the processing of true negative and false affirmative statements; these results are interpreted as consistent with predictions arising from the general argument. The results of a number of previous studies are then reconsidered and preliminary conclusions adduced. © 1969 Psychonomic Society, Inc.