“Not good” is “bad,” but “not bad” is not “good”: An analysis of three accounts of negation asymmetry

Abstract

This study evaluated 3 explanations for why speakers would opt for relatively complex negated forms in expressions when simpler direct forms are available. The results of 4 experiments on 104 participants revealed that events expected to turn out positively produce an asymmetry of negation: A direct negative term has the same meaning as a negated positive term, but a direct positive term does not have the same meaning as a negated negative term. When events are expected to turn out negatively, however, the asymmetry is not obtained. These findings are explained via an account based on relevance theory and verbal politeness.