Relevance theory: New horizons Foreword by Tim Wharton, Caroline Jagoe and Deirdre Wilson

This editorial provides an overview of some of the new horizons that are visible from the pragmatic framework of relevance theory. While its roots lie firmly in linguistic pragmatics, the influence of relevance theory has spread – indeed, continues to spread – to a range of disciplines, some of which might be said to lie beyond its original domain. As well as contributing to cognitive sciences such as developmental and evolutionary psychology and the emergent domain of experimental pragmatics – relevance theory was, after all, originally conceived as a model of communication and cognition – a growing number of researchers is bringing a relevance-theoretic perspective to work in: literary and artistic studies; anthropology, cross-cultural studies and the social sciences; and disciplines as diverse as affective science, internet-mediated discourse and clinical practice.