UCL Discovery Stage
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery Stage

Not so simple! Causal mechanisms increase preference for complex explanations

Zemla, Jeffrey C; Sloman, Steven A; Bechlivanidis, Christos; Lagnado, David A; (2023) Not so simple! Causal mechanisms increase preference for complex explanations. Cognition , 239 , Article 105551. 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105551. Green open access

[thumbnail of Not so simple - Zemla et al 2023.pdf]
Preview
Text
Not so simple - Zemla et al 2023.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

Mechanisms play a central role in how we think about causality, yet not all causal explanations describe mechanisms. Across five experiments, we find that people evaluate explanations differently depending on whether or not they include mechanisms. Despite common wisdom suggesting that explanations ought to be simple in the sense of appealing to as few causes as necessary to explain an effect, the literature is divided over whether people adhere to this principle. Our findings suggest that the presence of causal mechanisms in an explanation is one factor that reduces adherence. While competing explanations are often judged based on their probability of being correct, mechanisms afford a different way of evaluating explanations: They describe the underlying nature of causal relations. Complex explanations (appealing to multiple causes) contain more causal relations and thus allow for more mechanistic information, providing a fuller account of the causal network and promoting a greater sense of understanding.

Type: Article
Title: Not so simple! Causal mechanisms increase preference for complex explanations
Location: Netherlands
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105551
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105551
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Causal networks, Explanation, Mechanisms, Simplicity
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Experimental Psychology
URI: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10174595
Downloads since deposit
1,155Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item