Definition
H.P. Grice (1975):
When engaged in conversation, the Maxim of Quantity requires you to:
- Make your contribution as informative as is required (for the purpose of the exchanges).
- Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.
Basic Ideas
- The Maxim of Quantity relates to the amount of information provided in conversations.
- It is one of the four conversational maxims that make up the Cooperative Principle.
- Grice proposes this maxim as an explanation for a certain kind of regularity in conversational behavior with respect to the amount of information provided in each turn of a conversation.
Examples
Contribute as much information as is required
Alice: Bob, can I have John’s number?
Bob: Yes. (Less information is provided than is required.)
Despite his positive answer, we find Bob’s behavior weird. Why?
Because the Maxim is violated.
Contribute only as much information as is required
Alice: Do you have the time?
Bob: Yes, it’s 9:30.
One finds this normal. Why?
Because the Maxim is observed
Given the purpose of the conversation, the man contributes only as much information as is required:
- not excessive like “it’s 9:30 at night, Greenwich Mean Time, 20 May 2009, …”
- Not inadequate like, “it’s night time”.
Flouting a Maxim
Deliberate and apparent violation of maxims is called flouting.
Alice: Bob, can I have John’s number?
Bob: Yes.
In a case such as this, one might infer that Bob doesn’t have the number with her and will supply it later. Why?
Because we do not expect the Maxim to be violated, the apparent violation must be motivated.
Implicatures
Inferences obtained from flouting of maxims are called implicatures.
Alice: Bob, can I have John’s number?
Bob: Yes.
Bob may be implicating that
- Your love rival is near, I’ll tell you later.
- OR I really don’t want to give it to you.
Note: Implicatures do not have to be necessarily true, since the inferences are guessed at rather than derived by formal logic.