IMPLICIT BOOLEAN COERCION IN ELECTRONIC SPREADSHEETS: NATURAL LANGUAGE, COMPUTATIONAL ATTRIBUTION OF MEANING, AND DIGITAL LITERACY
Abstract
This study examines implicit boolean coercion in electronic spreadsheets and its implications for understanding the relationships between natural language, computational meaning attribution, and digital literacy. The investigation is based on the observation that certain expressions semantically associated with truth values can be recognized and incorporated into logical structures by computational systems, even in the absence of explicit operators or declared formulas. The corpus comprises Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc, WPS Spreadsheets, and Zoho Sheet, analyzed through a qualitative, comparative, and exploratory approach grounded in studies of human-computer interaction, applied cognition, and technological mediation. The results demonstrate that expressions belonging to ordinary language can be reclassified and incorporated into categories formally recognized by computational logic. It is concluded that understanding these mechanisms constitutes a relevant aspect of digital literacy and supports a more critical interpretation of contemporary technological environments
Author Biography
Master in Natural Sciences and Mathematics Education (FURB). Professor and Researcher focused on arithmetic inconsistencies in Microsoft Excel and on the rigor of Global Mathematics Education.
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