Related Experiment Videos
Mutability and propensity in causal selection
1Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. ann.mcgill@gsb.uchicago.edu
Abstract:
We examined differences in causal ratings of 1 factor depending on the mutability (defined as the ease with which a factor can be imagined to be different) and causal propensity (defined as the likelihood that the event would occur in the presence of a factor) of another factor that conjoined to produce the event. In 3 studies, causal ratings of the target factor depended on the interaction of mutability and propensity of the other factor. When the other factor was high in mutability, ratings of the target decreased as the propensity of the contributing factor increased, but when the other was low in mutability, ratings of the target increased as the propensity of the contributing factor increased. Mediation analysis indicated that mutability and propensity affected causal ratings by determining the comparison against which the event was considered. Comparison judgments also mediated beliefs about which factor should have adjusted to the other.
Insights
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.