plausibilité

Plausibility is the quality of being believable or credible. In Portuguese, the term corresponding to this concept is plausibilidade. The idea spans philosophy, rhetoric, science, and everyday reasoning, describing the degree to which a claim, explanation, or hypothesis seems reasonable given current knowledge, available evidence, and the methods used to evaluate it. Plausibility is often contrasted with probability: plausibility is a qualitative assessment of persuasiveness or coherence, while probability is a quantitative measure of likelihood.

Several factors influence plausibility, including coherence with established facts, consistency with known theories, explanatory power, and simplicity (parsimony). The presence of supportive evidence and the absence of strong contrary evidence also affect how plausible a claim appears. In scientific practice, a plausible hypothesis offers a coherent mechanism and testable predictions; it motivates further research but does not itself constitute proof.

In argumentation, law, and policy, plausibility helps determine how claims are perceived and weighed in decision-making. In cognitive science and psychology, plausibility is studied as a heuristic: people judge what seems plausible based on mental models, prior beliefs, and cognitive biases. In media and risk communication, plausibility influences interpretation and trust, sometimes independently of the strength of evidence.

Limitations of plausibility include subjectivity and bias. What seems plausible to one audience may not be to another, especially across cultures or domains with different background knowledge. Therefore, plausibility is best treated as a preliminary assessment that should be tested with data, replication, and transparent reasoning.

See also: probability, credibility, evidence, hypothesis, explanation.