Classical quantifiers (e.g., “all”, “some” and “none”) have
been extensively studied in logic and psychology. In contrast,
generalized quantifiers (e.g., “most”) allow for fine-grained
statements about quantities. The discrepancy in the underlying
mental representation and its interpretation among interpreters
can affect language use and reasoning. We investigated the
effect of quantifier type, quantification space (set size) and
monotonicity on processing difficulty (in response time, RT)
and response diversity of 77 generalized quantifiers. Shannon
entropy was employed to measure response diversity. Our
findings indicate: (i) Set size is a significant factor of response
diversity, which implies that the underlying space is relevant
for the interpretation. (ii) Quantifiers possess a rather static
underlying representation within and across tasks within a
participant. (iii) Quantifier type and monotonicity can affect
response diversity; while the response diversity can predict
RT. (iv) In reasoning, the number of generalized quantifiers
versus classical quantifiers in a syllogism is a factor of re-
sponse diversity. Diversity in the interpretation of generalized
quantifiers may be a cause of human’s deviation from logical
responses.