The Challenge of Multiple Causes
Communication can fail through interacting causes. High stakes may increase a speaker’s motivation to be clear while also creating pressure that leaves less attention for monitoring ambiguous wording.
THE IDEA
The Challenge of Multiple Causes
Specific instances of miscommunication are very difficult to predict. One reason is that the meaning of an utterance is often overdetermined – addressees can disambiguate utterances using multiple contextual cues. Another reason is that there are multiple root causes for miscommunication. One of the challenges is to explain how different causes of miscommunication make their unique and interactive contributions.
It is especially interesting to see how sometimes conflicting forces determine whether communication will be successful. Consider the role of motivation. When the stakes are high, a speaker is motivated to communicate effectively; however, the higher the stakes, the greater the pressure – the higher the burden on the cognitive system, leaving fewer resources for monitoring and adjustment. In the 1991 British movie “Let Him Have It,” a pivotal scene tragically demonstrates how resource-depleting pressure can triumph over the motivation to communicate effectively. Derek, a basically good lad, admires and seeks to emulate his criminal friend, Chris. When the two teenagers attempt to break into a store, the police show up. An officer captures Derek and then approaches Chris, who is carrying a gun. In a tense moment, the officer demands that Chris surrender the gun. At that point Derek yells: “Let him have it, Chris!” Chris turns, shoots and wounds the officer. Later, he shoots and kills another policeman. Chris is tried for murder and found guilty. Derek is also tried for murder, because the prosecution argues that he incited Chris to shoot at the officers by yelling, “Let him have it!” The defense argues that Derek actually meant the opposite – that he meant, “Let him have the gun!” Because Chris is only 16 years old, he serves 10 years in a juvenile prison. Derek, who is 19, is convicted of murder and hanged. The movie was based on the true story of Derek Bentley.
When to use it
In a courtroom, a witness's ambiguous statement can be interpreted differently by the jury based on tone and context, potentially affecting the verdict.
In medical settings, a doctor's instructions to a patient can be misunderstood if the patient is under stress, leading to non-compliance or errors.
In software development, ambiguous requirements can lead to different implementations by team members, causing costly rework.
In everyday conversation, sarcasm may be missed if the listener lacks shared context or is distracted.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Derek Bentley and the Ambiguous Phrase
The 1991 film "Let Him Have It" dramatizes the Derek Bentley case. Derek’s words, "Let him have it, Chris!", receive competing interpretations: the prosecution reads them as "shoot the police," while the defense reads them as "surrender the gun." The account uses the dispute to illustrate ambiguity under pressure; the film does not establish which intention lay behind the words.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Think of a time when you misinterpreted someone's words. What contextual cues were available, and why did you still miscommunicate?
How might high stakes in a conversation affect both your motivation to be clear and your cognitive resources?
Consider an ambiguous statement you've recently encountered. List possible interpretations and the contextual factors that would disambiguate each.
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Heuristics and Biases The Psychology of Intuitive Judgment (Thomas Gilovich, Dale Griffin, Daniel Kahneman)