Representing Causation

The dynamics model , which is based on L. Talmy's (1988) theory of force dynamics , characterizes causation as a pattern of forces and a position vector. In contrast to counterfactual and probabilistic models, the dynamics model naturally distinguishes between different cause-related concepts a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of experimental psychology. General 2007-02, Vol.136 (1), p.82-111
Main Author: Wolff, Phillip
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animation
Bayes Theorem
Biological and medical sciences
Causal Analysis
Causality
Cognition
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive Mapping
Experimental psychology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Humans
Learning
Learning. Memory
Mathematical models
Methods Research
Models, Psychological
Multidimensional Scaling
Physics
Program Descriptions
Psychological Theory
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Schematic Studies
Science Experiments
Scientific Methodology
Simulation
Visual Perception
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Description
Summary:The dynamics model , which is based on L. Talmy's (1988) theory of force dynamics , characterizes causation as a pattern of forces and a position vector. In contrast to counterfactual and probabilistic models, the dynamics model naturally distinguishes between different cause-related concepts and explains the induction of causal relationships from single observations. Support for the model is provided in experiments in which participants categorized 3-D animations of realistically rendered objects with trajectories that were wholly determined by the force vectors entered into a physics simulator. Experiments 1-3 showed that causal judgments are based on several forces, not just one. Experiment 4 demonstrated that people compute the resultant of forces using a qualitative decision rule. Experiments 5 and 6 showed that a dynamics approach extends to the representation of social causation. Implications for the relationship between causation and time are discussed.
ISSN:0096-3445
1939-2222
DOI:10.1037/0096-3445.136.1.82