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Mutability and propensity in causal selection
1Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. ann.mcgill@gsb.uchicago.edu
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|November 18, 2000
Summary
Causal judgments depend on how easily a factor can change (mutability) and its likelihood to cause an event (propensity). These factors interact, influencing how we perceive causality and compare events.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Decision Science
- Causal Inference
Background:
- Understanding how people make causal judgments is crucial in various fields.
- Previous research has explored factors influencing causality, but the interaction between mutability and propensity requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how the mutability and causal propensity of one factor influence causal ratings of a conjoined factor.
- To explore the mediating role of comparison judgments in this process.
Main Methods:
- Three experimental studies were conducted.
- Participants rated the causality of a target factor.
- The mutability and propensity of a conjoined factor were manipulated.
Main Results:
- Causal ratings were significantly influenced by the interaction between mutability and propensity.
- When a conjoined factor was highly mutable, increased propensity decreased target factor causality ratings.
- Conversely, low mutability with increased propensity enhanced target factor causality ratings.
Conclusions:
- Mutability and propensity interact to shape causal attributions.
- These judgments are mediated by the comparison against which the event is considered.
- The findings shed light on how people determine which factor should have adjusted to the other.