Watson–Glaser Interpretation guide
Watson–Glaser Interpretation gives a passage and a proposed conclusion, and asks whether the conclusion follows beyond reasonable doubt. It is stricter than 'sounds plausible' and looser than formal logical proof.
The method
- Ask whether the passage puts the conclusion beyond reasonable doubt.
- If a reasonable alternative reading survives, the conclusion does not follow.
- Do not demand airtight logical proof — the standard is beyond reasonable doubt, not certainty.
- Check the direction of any conditional before deciding.
Common mistakes
- Generic scepticism — deciding nothing ever 'follows'.
- Committing the converse of a conditional.
- Inflating the scope of the conclusion beyond the passage.
- Treating merely plausible as 'follows'.
Frequently asked questions
How is Interpretation different from Inference?
Inference grades an inference on a five-point scale; Interpretation is a binary 'follows / does not follow' judged at the beyond-reasonable-doubt standard.