Final answer:
The correct answer is A (intentional; more complex), as when someone violates Gricean Maxims, it is often a deliberate act leading listeners to infer a more complex meaning.
Step-by-step explanation:
When our conversational partner fails to meet Gricean Maxims, we often assume it is intentional and take a more complex meaning from it. The correct answer is A. intentional; more complex. The Gricean Maxims, formulated by philosopher H.P. Grice, include the maxims of quantity, quality, relation, and manner. These maxims are guidelines that describe how people typically converse with each other in a cooperative and logical manner. When a speaker knowingly violates these maxims, listeners tend to look for a deeper, non-literal meaning — a phenomenon known as implicature. When someone intentionally violates these maxims, they are using irony, sarcasm, or other rhetorical devices to convey meaning that is less straightforward and more complex.