Interpretation of Optimal Signals

According to the optimal assertions approach of Benz and van Rooij (2007), conversational implicatures can be calculated based on the assumption that a given signal was optimal, i.e. that it was the sender’s best choice if she assumes, purely hypothetically, a particular naive receiver interpretation behavior. This paper embeds the optimal assertions approach in a general signaling game setting and derives the notion of an optimal signal via a series of iterated best responses (cf.