Associative and causal reasoning accounts of causal induction: symmetries and asymmetries in predictive and diagnostic inferences.

Memory & Cognition
Francisco J LópezAntonio Caño

Abstract

Associative and causal reasoning accounts are probably the two most influential types of accounts of causal reasoning processes. Only causal reasoning accounts predict certain asymmetries between predictive (i.e., reasoning from causes to effects) and diagnostic (i.e., reasoning from effects to causes) inferences regarding cue-interaction phenomena (e.g., the overshadowing effect). In the experiments reported here, we attempted to delimit the conditions under which these asymmetries occur. The results show that unless participants perceived the relevance of causal information to solving the task, predictive and diagnostic inferences were symmetrical. Specifically, Experiments 1A and 1B showed that implicitly stressing the relevance of causal information by having participants review the instructions favored the presence of asymmetries between predictive and diagnostic situations. In addition, Experiment 2 showed that explicitly stressing the relevance of causal information by stating the importance of the causal role of events after the instructions were given also favored the asymmetry.

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Apr 24, 2009·The Behavioral and Brain Sciences·Chris J MitchellPeter F Lovibond
Mar 17, 2007·The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology : QJEP·David R Shanks
Mar 17, 2007·The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology : QJEP·Pedro L CobosDavid Luque
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Jul 7, 2009·Annual Review of Psychology·David R Shanks
Feb 15, 2008·Experimental Psychology·Ulf-Dietrich Reips, Michael R Waldmann
Mar 27, 2019·Memory & Cognition·Evan J LiveseyAnna Thorwart

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