Variables influencing inferences about a stranger's goal during an unsolicited social interaction were explored. Experiment 1 developed a procedure for identifying cues. Experiments 2 and 3 assessed the relative importance of various cues (space, time, characteristics of oneself, characteristics of the stranger, and the stranger's behavior) for…

Introduced the hypothesis-assessment model, claiming that the strength of inductive argument is determined by the same factors that affect hypothesis plausibility in the everyday social milieu. Describes experiments conducted to assess argument strength. Discusses strengths and limitations of the proposed hypothesis-assessment model. (MOK)