Marek tells his friend Alicia that his dog bit him over the weekend. Horrified, Alicia pictures a large, aggressive dog. At the same time, she is surprised Marek has no visible injuries. Marek is amused by the misunderstanding, as he was referring to his three-pound Pomeranian. According to the semantic triangle, which element led to the miscommunication?
A) Reference
B) Referent
C) Symbol
D) Denotation

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The reference, which is the dog, led to the miscommunication because Alicia pictured a large, aggressive dog, while Marek was referring to his three-pound Pomeranian.

Marek Tells His Friend Alicia That His Dog Bit Him