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Sangeet Khemlani1, Christina Wasylyshyn2, Gordon Briggs2

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Summary
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People can distinguish between causes and enabling conditions for events that do not happen, based on mental simulation of possibilities. This research explores reasoning about omissive causation.

Keywords:
AbsencesCausal reasoningDouble preventionMental modelsNegative possibilitiesOmissions

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Causal Reasoning
  • Mental Models Theory

Background:

  • Causation is understood through commission (actions) and omission (inactions).
  • Omissive causation, like "not breathing causes death," requires distinct representational theories.
  • Existing theories lack a clear distinction between omissive causes and enabling conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a theory of omissive causation representation based on mental simulation.
  • To differentiate between omissive causes, enabling conditions, and preventions.
  • To explain how individuals distinguish subtle differences in omissive causal relationships.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing the mental models theory of reasoning.
  • Simulating sets of possibilities representing causes, enabling conditions, and preventions.
  • Conducting four experiments to test theoretical predictions.

Main Results:

  • Reasoners can distinguish between omissive causes and omissive enabling conditions.
  • Mental simulation of distinct possibility sets underlies this distinction.
  • Experimental results support the proposed theory of omissive causation.

Conclusions:

  • Omissive causation, enabling conditions, and preventions are represented by distinct sets of possibilities.
  • Deliberation over alternative possibilities allows for nuanced causal judgments.
  • The mental models theory provides a robust framework for understanding omissive causal reasoning.