The power of precise numbers: A conversational logic analysis

The role of conversational processes in quantitative judgment is addressed. In three studies, precise numbers (e.g., 29.75) had a stronger influence on subsequent estimates than round numbers (e.g., 0), but only when they were presented by a human communicator whose contributions could be assumed to observe the Gricean maxims of cooperative conversational conduct. Numeric precision exerted no influence when the numbers were presented as the...