Article published In:
New Theoretical Insights into UntruthfulnessEdited by Marta Dynel
[Pragmatics & Cognition 23:1] 2016
► pp. 16–52
Edited by Marta Dynel
[Pragmatics & Cognition 23:1] 2016
► pp. 16–52
Pretense as deceptive behavioral communication
Cristiano Castelfranchi | University of Siena/ ISTC — Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies
Our claim in this paper is that a theory of “pretense” (in all its crucial uses in human society and cognition) can be built only if it is grounded on the general theory of “behavioral implicit communication” (BIC), which is not to be confused with non-verbal communication (with distinct notions being frequently conflated, such as “signs” vs. “messages”, or goal as “intention” vs. goal as “function”). Pretense presupposes some BIC-based human interaction, where a normal, practical behavior is used for signifying something, based on a sign that is not a conventional one. In light of BIC interaction theory, one can exploit this sign or message in a deceptive way in order to induce the other to believe that he/she is performing a given behavior or has a given mental state.
Keywords: signification, deception, Behavioral communication, simulation, pretense, signaling
References
Andrighetto, G. and Castelfranchi, C
2013 “Norm compliance. The prescriptive power of normative actions.” Paradigmi, Vol. 21. Roma: Angeli, 120–135.
Arbib, M.A
2005 “From monkey-like action recognition to human language: An evolutionary framework for neurolinguistics.” Behavioral and Brain Sciences 281: 105–124. 
Argyle, M
1972 “Nonverbal communication in human social interaction.” In R. Hinde (ed), Non-verbal Communication. New York: Cambridge, 443.
Austin, J
1958 “Pretending.” Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Vol. 321. London: Harrison and Sons, 261–278.
Bacharach, M. and Gambetta, D
2001 “Trust in signs.” In K. Cook (ed) Trust and Social Structure, New York: Russel Sage Foundation.
Bara, B
1999 Pragmatica cognitiva: I processi mentali della comunicazione. Bollati Boringhieri Editore, Torino
Beckers, R. Holland, H. and Deneubourg, J.L
1996 “From local to global tasks stigmergy and collective robotics.” In Rodney A. Brooks and Pattie Maes (eds), Artificial Life IV.
Bird R.B. and Smith E.A
2005 “Signaling theory, strategic interaction, and symbolic capital.” Current Antropology 461: 221–248.
Bourdieu, P
1984 Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Harvard Univ. Press.
Castelfranchi, C
1992 “No more cooperation, please! In search of the social structure of verbal interaction.” In A. Ortony, J. Slack and O. Stock (eds), A.I. and Cognitive Science Perspectives on Communication. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer.
2001 “The theory of social functions.” Journal of Cognitive Systems Research 21: 5–38. Elsevier. [URL]. DOI:
2005 “ToM and BIC: Intentional behavioral communication as based on the theory of mind.” In Proc. AISB Symp. on Social Virtual Agents. 371
2006. “From conversation to interaction via behavioral communication. For a semiotic design of objects, environments, and behaviors.” In S. Bagnara, and Crampton Smith G. (eds), Theories and Practice in Interaction Design. Mawach, NJ: LEA.
2013 “Goal-directness.” In B. Kaldis (ed), Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the Social Sciences. London: SAGE, 900–902.
Castelfranchi, C. and Poggi, Isabella
1994 Lying as pretending to give information. In H. Parret (ed.), Pretending to Communicate. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 276–291.
Castelfranchi, C. and Giardini, F
2006 “Behavioural implicit communication: Hints about the origins of communication, gestures and language.” In J.M. Hombert et al. (ed), Towards the Origins of Language and Languages.
Connelly, B L., Certo, S.T., Ireland, R.D. and Reutzel, C.R
2011 “Signaling theory: A review and assessment.” Journal of Management 371: 39–67.
Conte, R and Castelfranchi, C
1995 Cognitive and Social Action. London: UCL Press.
Corballis, M.C
2002 From Hand to Mouth: The Origins of Language. Harvard.
Dynel, M
2011a “A web of deceit: A neo-Gricean view on types of verbal deception.” International Review of Pragmatics 3(2): 137–165.
2011b “Turning speaker meaning on its head. Non-verbal communication and intended meaning.” Pragmatics & Cognition 19(3): 422–447.
2017 “No child’s play: A philosophical pragmatic view of overt pretence as a vehicle for conversational humour.” In V. Tsakona and J. Chovanec (eds). Creating and Negotiating Humor in Everyday Interactions. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Eco, U
1976 A Theory of Semiotics. London, Indiana University Press.
Ekman, P. and Friesen, W.V
1969 “The repertoire of Nonverbal Behavior: Cafegories, Origins, Usage, and Coding.” Semiotica: 49–98.
Eibl-Eibesfeldt, I
1979 “Ritual and ritualization from a biological perspective.” In M. von Cranach, K. Foppa, W. Lepenies and D. Ploog (eds), Human Ethology: Claims and Limits of a New Discipline. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1–55.
Fein, G
1981 “Pretend play in childhood: An integrative review.” Child Development, 521, 1095–1118.
Givens, D B
2003 Nonverbal Dictionary of Gestures, Signs and Body Language Cues. Spokane, Washington: Center for Nonverbal Studies Press.
Gendler, T
2013 “Imagination.” The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy (Fall 2013 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.) URL = [URL].
Goffman, E
1956 The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday.
Grafen, A
1990 “Biological signals as handicaps.” Journal of Theoretical Bioloogy 1441: 517–546.
Grice, P.H
1989 Studies in the Way of Words, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Krebs, J. and Dawkins, R
1984 “Animal signals: Mind-reading and manipulation.” In JR Krebs and N.B. Davies (eds), Behavioural Ecology: An evolutionary approach (2nd edition). Sinauer, 380–402.
Johnstone, R.A
1997 “The evolution of animal signals.” In Behavioural Ecology: An Evolutionary Approach (4th edition), J.R. Krebs and N.B. Davies (eds), 155–178, Oxford, Blackwell.
Langland-Hassan, P
2014 “What it is to pretend.” Pacific Philosophical Quarterly.
Miceli, M. and Castelfranchi, C
1995 Le Difese della Mente. Profili Cognitivi. Roma: La Nuova Italia Scientifica.
Nichols, S. and Stich, S
2000 “A cognitive theory of pretense.” Cognition 741: 115–147.
Németh, E.T
2008 “Verbal information transmission without communicative intention.” Intercultural Pragmatics 5-21: 153–176.
Noble, J
1998a “The evolution of communication with and without conflicts of interest: An argument for modelling proto-proto-language”. Paper presented at the
Second International Conference on the Evolution of Language
, London, UK, 6–9 April.
1998b The Evolution of Animal Communication Systems: Questions of Function Examined through Simulation. PhD thesis, School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences, University of Sussex.
Poggi, I
2001 “The Italian gestionary. Meaning representation, ambuguity, and context.” In C. Mueller and R. Posner (eds), Proceeding of the Symposium on the Semantics and Pragmatics of everyday Gestures. Berlin: Berlin Verlag Arno Spitz.
Posner, R
1992 “Believing, causing, intending: The basis for a hierarchy of sign concepts in the reconstruction of communication.” In R.J. Jorna, B. van Heusden and R. Posner (eds), Signs, Search, and Communication: The Semiotic Aspects of Artficial Intelligence. Berlin, de Gruyter.
2003 “Everyday gestures as a result of ritualization.” In M. Rector, I. Poggi and N. Trigo (eds), “Gestures, Meanings, and Use”. Universidade Ferdinando Pessoa, 217–229.
Riley, J
1979 “Information equilibrium.” Econometrica 471: 331–360.
Ross, S
1977 “The determination of financial structure: The incentive signaling approach.” Bell Journal of Economics 81: 23–40.
Saussure, F. de
1916 Cours de linguistique générale, ed. C. Bally and A. Sechehaye, with the collaboration of A. Riedlinger, Lausanne and Paris: Payot.
Schelling, T
1960 The Strategy of Conflict. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Searle, J
1975 “The logical status of fictional discourse. New Literary History VI1, No.2.
1995 The Construction of Social Reality. New York: The Free Press.
Spece, M
1973 “Job larket signaling.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 871: 296–332.
Sperber, D. and Wilson, D
1986 Relevance: Communication and Cognition. Oxford: Blackwell.
Tummolini, L. and Castelfranchi, C
2006 “Trace signals: The meanings of stigmergy.” E4MAS: 141–156
2006b “The cognitive and behavioral mediation of institutions: Towards an account of institutional actions.” Cognitive Systems Research 71(2–3).
Tummolini L., Andrighetto G., Castelfranchi C. and Conte, R
2013 “A convention or (tacit) agreement betwixt us: On reliance and its normative consequences.” Synthese 190(4): 585–618.
Veblen, T
1899 The Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study in the Evolution of Institutions. Macmilla, US.
Vincent, J. and C. Castelfranchi
1981 How to lie while saying the truth. In H. Parret, M. Sbisà and J. Verschueren (eds),
Possibilities and Limitations of Pragmatics: Proceedings of the Conference on Pragmatics
, Urbino, July 8–14, 1979. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 749–777.
Watzlavich, P, Beavin, J.H. and Jackson, D.D
1967 Pragmatics of Human Communication: A Study of Interactional patterns, pathologies, and paradoxes. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., Inc.
Zahavi, A. and Zahavi, A
1997 The Handicap Principle: A Missing Piece of Darwin’s Puzzle. New York: Oxford University Press.
Zlatev, J
2014 Bodily mimesis and the transition to speech. In M. Pina and N. Gontier (eds), The Evolution of Social Communication in Primates. Berlin: Springer, 165–178.