Causal Beliefs Research Articles

The one exception: The impact of statistical regularities on explicit sense of agency.

Establishing causal beliefs by observing regularities between actions and events in the environment is a crucial part of goal-directed behavior. Sense of agency (SoA) describes the corresponding experience of generating and controlling actions and subsequent events. Investigating how SoA adapts to situational changes in action-effect contingency, we observed even singular disturbances of perfect action-effect contingencies to yield a striking impact on SoA formation. Moreover, we additionally included disturbances of regularity that are not directly linked to one's own actions. Doing so allowed us to investigate how SoA might be a concept that goes beyond own actions toward a more generalized, subjective representation of control regarding environmental events. Indeed, the present experiments establish that, while SoA is highly tuned toward action-effect relations, it is also sensitive to events that occur without one's own action contribution. SoA thus appears to be exceptionally sensitive to singular breakpoints of perfect control with agents disproportionally incorporating such events during SoA formation while at the same time building on a rich situation model. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Opportunity's Calling: Perceived Inequality and Causal Beliefs About Socioeconomic Status Linked to Civic Engagement

ABSTRACTAlthough objective states of inequality often stifle civic engagement, subjective perceptions of inequality can stimulate it. Across two studies using a nationally representative US sample (Study 1, n = 1053) and a US university student sample (Study 2, n = 604), we found that the perception of inequality was positively associated with civic engagement. We further explored the mediating pathways linking this association. We found that perceived inequality is positively associated with the belief that socioeconomic status (SES) is attained through opportunity (e.g., social connections). In turn, opportunity belief was negatively associated with acceptance of inequality which was likewise negatively correlated with civic engagement. Our findings suggest opportunity belief may be a key mechanism activated by perceived inequality that links it to civic engagement. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Explanatory models of illicit drug use in adolescents: A qualitative study from India.

Illicit drug use is a growing concern in India, with a high treatment gap of 73%. Explanatory models can provide valuable insights into the patient's conception of disease and inform help-seeking, treatment, and recovery. Of the studies that examine adolescent drug misuse in India, none have developed a socio-cultural explanatory model. The aim of our study was to develop an explanatory model to better understand the causal beliefs, social context, and self-perception of illicit drug misuse amongst adolescents in India. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 adolescents seeking treatment for drug use disorders and 25 healthcare providers recruited across three sites in India. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Most adolescent participants reported using multiple drugs, often in combination with cannabis. Frequent usage was reported i.e., daily at multiple times. Causes of initiation and continued use were peer influence, curiosity and pleasure, psychosocial stressors, family conditions, and systemic risk factors (e.g. socioeconomic instability). Drugs were acquired from various sources, including fellow users and pharmacies. Adolescent participants perceived negative impacts of drug use on physical and mental health, family relationships, and everyday functioning. Our findings on common reasons of drug use initiation, importance of peer relationships in continuation of use, impact of use on various aspects of life and the relationship of illicit drug use with socioeconomic status are consistent with previous research done in India on the subject. Understanding how adolescents and caregivers perceive drug use can help inform patient-clinician rapport, improve treatment compliance and understand intervention effectiveness. Such an explanatory model holds crucial implications for shaping interventions and clinical approaches to address adolescent drug use in India.

Sustainable utilization of cultivated land resources based on "element coupling-function synergy" analytical framework: A case study of Guangdong, China

Solely focusing on the agricultural production function of cultivated land resources is not conducive to the various demands for meeting the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Recognizing the multifunctionality of cultivated land and understanding the interrelationships between individual functions are crucial for the rational planning and utilization of resources. This paper introduces an "element coupling-function synergy" analytical framework for the sustainable utilization of cultivated land resources. The proposed framework is based on the causal relationships between elements and functions within the cultivated land system. Subsequently, a causal Bayesian belief network was constructed to identify trade-offs and synergies among multiple functions of cultivated land resources in Guangdong, China. The findings reveal trade-offs between food cleanliness and food production/social security, and synergistic relationships among food production, social security, and ecological regulation, as well as among ecological regulation, habitat maintenance and landscape culture. The study area was divided into eight functional zones: Green Agricultural Zone, Agro-inputs Control Zone, Urban Agricultural Zone, Major Grain-producing Zone, Modern Agricultural Zone, Agro-ecological Preservation Zone, Agro-ecological Tourism Zone, Quality Improvement Zone. Multi-objective management plans were formulated for optimizing multifunctional relationships within each zone. The analysis result reveals the importance of nutrient conditions and ecological environments for the sustainable management of cultivated land. Consequently, specific policy recommendations are proposed accordingly. This paper may not only advance understanding of the multifunctionality of cultivated land but can also provide valuable insights for land-use planning to ensure the judicious and sustainable management of cultivated land resources.

Ten years since its definition and validation: The Mental Disorder Causal Beliefs Scale.

Ten years since its definition and validation: The Mental Disorder Causal Beliefs Scale.

A qualitative, multi-perspective study on causal beliefs about adolescent depression.

The current study aimed to examine: (1.1) causal beliefs about adolescent depression in a sample of adolescents with a clinical depression and their mothers and fathers; (1.2) within-family overlap of causal beliefs; (2.1) mothers' and fathers' reflected causal beliefs about their child's perspective; (2.2) the accuracy of mothers' and fathers' reflected causal beliefs as related to their child's causal beliefs. Qualitative study using a within-family approach. Adolescents with a current clinical depression (MDD/dysthymia; N = 34) and their parents (N = 34 mothers, N = 26 fathers) were independently interviewed about their causal beliefs about the adolescents' depression. Parents were additionally interviewed about their perception of their child's causal beliefs (i.e., reflected causal beliefs). The causal beliefs most frequently mentioned by adolescents, mothers and fathers are: characteristics of the child, social factors, school and various stressful experiences. Parent-child overlap was relatively low, specifically for the themes of bewilderment, cumulative effect and stressful life events, whereas overlap was relatively high for themes of social factors, school and stressful experiences outside of the family. Parents were relatively accurate in their reflected causal beliefs, but tended to underestimate their child's insights into possible causes of their depression. Accuracy of parents' reflected causal beliefs was particularly low for the theme cumulative effect and high for social factors. The various causal beliefs of adolescents and their parents could be used in therapeutic setting. Future research could examine whether (guided) conversations may promote alignment within families and treatment efficacy.

Teaching gene-environment interaction concepts with narrative vignettes: Effects on knowledge, stigma, and behavior motivation.

Gene-environment interaction (GxE) concepts underlie a proper understanding of complex disease risk and risk-reducing behavior. Communicating GxE concepts is a challenge. This study designed an educational intervention that communicated GxE concepts in the context of eating behavior and its impact on weight, and tested its efficacy in changing knowledge, stigma, and behavior motivation. The study also explored whether different framings of GxE education and matching frames with individual eating tendencies would result in stronger intervention impact. The experiment included four GxE education conditions and a control condition unrelated to GxE concepts. In the education conditions, participants watched a video introducing GxE concepts then one of four narrative vignettes depicting how a character's experience with eating hyperpalatable or bitter tasting food (reward-based eating drive vs. bitter taste perception scenario) is influenced by genetic or environmental variations (genetic vs. environmental framings). The education intervention increased GxE knowledge, genetic causal attributions, and empathetic concern. Mediation analyses suggest that causal attributions, particularly to genetics and willpower, are key factors that drive downstream stigma and eating behavior outcomes and could be targeted in future interventions. Tailoring GxE education frames to individual traits may lead to more meaningful outcomes. For example, genetic (vs. environmental) framed GxE education may reduce stigma toward individuals with certain eating tendencies among individuals without such tendencies. GxE education interventions would be most likely to achieve desired outcomes such as reducing stigma if they target certain causal beliefs and are strategically tailored to individual attributes.

Belief Miner: A Methodology for Discovering Causal Beliefs and Causal Illusions from General Populations

Causal belief is a cognitive practice that humans apply everyday to reason about cause and effect relations between factors, phenomena, or events. Like optical illusions, humans are prone to drawing causal relations between events that are only coincidental (i.e., causal illusions). Researchers in domains such as cognitive psychology and healthcare often use logistically expensive experiments to understand causal beliefs and illusions. In this paper, we propose Belief Miner, a crowdsourcing method for evaluating people's causal beliefs and illusions. Our method uses the (dis)similarities between the causal relations collected from the crowds and experts to surface the causal beliefs and illusions. Through an iterative design process, we developed a web-based interface for collecting causal relations from a target population. We then conducted a crowdsourced experiment with 101 workers on Amazon Mechanical Turk and Prolific using this interface and analyzed the collected data with Belief Miner. We discovered a variety of causal beliefs and potential illusions, and we report the design implications for future research.

Mechanisms of mental illness anti-stigma messaging matter: Leveraging mental health communication inequities among Latinx populations to understand what works and what we can do better

BackgroundSince 1950, public communication about the neurobiological-psychosocial basis of mental illness from the diathesis-stress model has promoted reception to treatment yet violent/dangerous stereotypes have increased during this period. Moreover, public mental health communication efforts have predominantly diffused in English-language media, excluding Spanish/Latinx media and its consumers from these efforts. To inform future mental health communication strategies, this study leverages high versus low diffusion of public mental health communication across English and Spanish/Latinx media to examine public mental health communication effects on stigma and treatment beliefs via neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs. MethodsA quota sample of 2058 U.S.-based Latinx residents ages 13–86 with diverse language/cultural media preferences was recruited to self-complete a survey about mental health information acquisition in 2021. Assessments ascertained frequency of Spanish/Latinx and English media use and mental health content scanning and seeking (α = 0.86–0.94); and items from the General Social Survey about mental illness neurobiological-psychosocial causal beliefs (α = 0.72)—genetics, brain chemistry, environment, stress; treatment beliefs—mental illness improves with treatment or on its own; and stigma beliefs—violent/dangerous and bad character stereotypes and unwillingness to socialize with a person with mental illness. Structural equation models estimated total, direct, and indirect effects of Spanish/Latinx and English media exposures on treatment and stigma beliefs via neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs, net individual/family factors. ResultsSpanish/Latinx media reduced, while English media increased, neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs (p < 0.01). Neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs, in turn, increased treatment and stigma beliefs (p < 0.01), simultaneously. Indirect pathways were also significant (p < 0.05). Proportion mediated on treatment beliefs was one-third for Spanish/Latinx and two-thirds for English media. Proportion mediated on stigma beliefs for all media exposures averaged ≥1. ConclusionsWhile consumers of Spanish/Latinx media report lower neurobiological-psychosocial knowledge that impedes treatment beliefs, consumers of English media report greater neurobiological-psychosocial and treatment knowledge and, consequently, more stigma. Innovation in public mental health communication is needed to counter stigma and health inequity.

The effect of GLP-1 receptor agonist use on negative evaluations of women with higher and lower body weight.

GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have dramatically altered obesity treatment. Media reports suggest that GLP-1 RAs users often report feeling judged for taking a "shortcut" to lose weight, which may be related to negative stereotypes toward people with larger bodies. Media reports also describe negative attitudes about lean people who take GLP-1 RAs to enhance their appearance. The present research used a 2 × 2 experimental design to test the effects of GLP-1 RA use and body size on attitudes and egocentric impressions. A sample of 357 U.S. adults (Mage = 37.8, SD = 13) were randomly assigned to read about a woman, who either was lean or had obesity, and who lost 15% of her body weight either with diet/exercise or a GLP-1 RA. Participants answered questions measuring endorsement of negative weight-related stereotypes and egocentric attitudes toward the woman, as well as beliefs that she took a shortcut to lose weight and beliefs that biogenetic factors caused her baseline weight. Negative evaluations and egocentric impressions were stronger toward a woman who lost weight with a GLP-1 RA compared to diet/exercise. Losing weight with a GLP-1 RA led to stronger negative evaluations through higher weight loss shortcut beliefs irrespective of body size. Losing weight with a GLP-1 RA also led to higher egocentric impressions through higher shortcut beliefs, and this effect was stronger for a lean woman. Finally, losing weight with a GLP-1 RA led to more negative evaluations through stronger endorsement of biogenetic causal beliefs for a lean woman only. This timely study provides evidence that people with larger and smaller bodies alike are at-risk for being judged for using GLP-1 RAs due to beliefs that these medications are a shortcut. Findings also demonstrate novel reactions related to egotism when weight loss is achieved with pharmacological interventions. PRE-REGISTRATION AND DATA: osf.io/xme4w.

Unraveling Moral Evaluations: A Qualitative Exploration of Young Individuals’ Causal Beliefs and Moral Emotions

This article presents an empirical examination of attribution and appraisal theories, focusing on young individuals’ beliefs about causality and feelings toward two social issues impacting the welfare of others: food insecurity and opioid addiction. Using a deductive qualitative approach, this investigation deepens and expands our theoretical understanding of how causal beliefs shape moral evaluations and corresponding emotions. Through focus group discussions ( N = 9), participants revealed distinct patterns of causal cognitions and specific negative, other-oriented moral emotions. Causes of individuals’ hardships were characterized along four themes (personal choices, inherited circumstances, systemic issues, unexpected events), linking beliefs with corresponding discrete emotional experiences resembling contempt, pity, resentment, and compassion. Findings provide a description of attributions that supports a nuanced understanding of the complex relationship between causality and emotion, thus contributing to the current theoretical perspective. Practical implications and opportunities for further investigation are discussed in view of the broader goal of developing strategies to amplify civic engagement.

Parenthood and Glee: An online study to examine differences between viewers and non-viewers of television shows featuring a character with a developmental disability.

We present findings from our study, which examined whether ability to identify Down syndrome and autism was linked to participants' willingness to maintain social contact with individuals with the respective conditions. Additionally, we explored whether viewers and non-viewers of Parenthood and Glee, television shows featuring a character with autism and Down syndrome respectively, differed in their awareness, beliefs regarding causes and interventions, and desire to maintain social proximity with individuals with these conditions. Participants completed an online survey, which included vignettes based on Max, the character with autism from Parenthood and Becky, the character with Down syndrome from Glee as well as the adapted Intellectual Disabilities Literacy Scale. Based on 300 responses, key differences were noted in the hypothesized direction on the assessed variables (symptom recognition, causal beliefs, and treatment beliefs) between Parenthood and Glee viewers and non-viewers. Findings are discussed in the context of practical implications and methodological limitations.

The enhancement of temporal binding effect after negative social feedback

ABSTRACT The present study investigated the effect of social feedback on the experiences of our actions and the outcomes (e.g. temporal binding between an action and its outcome, reflecting individuals’ causal beliefs modulated by their agency judgments). In Experiment 1a, participants freely decided (voluntary action) their action timing to cause an outcome, which was followed by social feedback. A larger temporal binding (TB) following negative vs. positive events was found. This effect appeared neither in the random context where the causal belief between the action and outcome was absent (Experiment 1b) nor in the involuntary action context where participants’ action timing was instructed (Experiment 1c). Experiments 2a and 2b examined the effect when the action-outcome was occluded, including reversing the order of outcome and feedback in Experiment 2b. Experiments 3a and 3b investigated the effect with only social feedback or only action-outcome presented. Results revealed that the effect found in Experiment 1 was driven by social feedback and independent of the availability of the action-outcome and the position of social feedback. Our findings demonstrate a stronger temporal integration of the action and its outcome following negative social feedback, reflecting fluctuations in sense of agency when faced with social feedback.

Evaluating the Bayesian causal inference model of intentional binding through computational modeling.

Intentional binding refers to the subjective compression of the time interval between an action and its consequence. While intentional binding has been widely used as a proxy for the sense of agency, its underlying mechanism has been largely veiled. Bayesian causal inference (BCI) has gained attention as a potential explanation, but currently lacks sufficient empirical support. Thus, this study implemented various computational models to describe the possible mechanisms of intentional binding, fitted them to individual observed data, and quantitatively evaluated their performance. The BCI models successfully isolated the parameters that potentially contributed to intentional binding (i.e., causal belief and temporal prediction) and generally better explained an observer's time estimation than traditional models such as maximum likelihood estimation. The estimated parameter values suggested that the time compression resulted from an expectation that the actions would immediately cause sensory outcomes. Furthermore, I investigated the algorithm that realized this BCI and found probability-matching to be a plausible candidate; people might heuristically reconstruct event timing depending on causal uncertainty rather than optimally integrating causal and temporal posteriors. The evidence demonstrated the utility of computational modeling to investigate how humans infer the causal and temporal structures of events and individual differences in that process.

Predicting the evolution of clinical skin aging in a multi-ethnic population: Developing causal Bayesian networks using dermatological expertise.

Software to predict the impact of aging on physical appearance is increasingly popular. But it does not consider the complex interplay of factors that contribute to skin aging. To predict the +15-year progression of clinical signs of skin aging by developing Causal Bayesian Belief Networks (CBBNs) using expert knowledge from dermatologists. Structures and conditional probability distributions were elicited worldwide from dermatologists with experience of at least 15 years in aesthetics. CBBN models were built for all phototypes and for ages ranging from 18 to 65 years, focusing on wrinkles, pigmentary heterogeneity and facial ptosis. Models were also evaluated by a group of independent dermatologists ensuring the quality of prediction of the cumulative effects of extrinsic and intrinsic skin aging factors, especially the distribution of scores for clinical signs 15 years after the initial assessment. For easiness, only models on African skins are presented in this paper. The forehead wrinkle evolution model has been detailed. Specific atlas and extrinsic factors of facial aging were used for this skin type. But the prediction method has been validated for all phototypes, and for all clinical signs of facial aging. This method proposes a skin aging model that predicts the aging process for each clinical sign, considering endogenous and exogenous factors. It simulates aging curves according to lifestyle. It can be used as a preventive tool and could be coupled with a generative AI algorithm to visualize aging and, potentially, other skin conditions, using appropriate images.

Eye did this! Sense of agency in eye movements

This study investigates the sense of agency (SoA) for saccades with implicit and explicit agency measures. In two eye tracking experiments, participants moved their eyes towards on-screen stimuli that subsequently changed color. Participants then either reproduced the temporal interval between saccade and color-change (Experiment 1) or reported the time points of these events with an auditory Libet clock (Experiment 2) to measure temporal binding effects as implicit indices of SoA. Participants were either made to believe to exert control over the color change or not (agency manipulation). Explicit ratings indicated that the manipulation of causal beliefs and hence agency was successful. However, temporal binding was only evident for caused effects, and only when a sufficiently sensitive procedure was used (auditory Libet clock). This suggests a feebler connection between temporal binding and SoA than previously proposed. The results also provide evidence for a relatively fast acquisition of sense of agency for previously never experienced types of action-effect associations. This indicates that the underlying processes of action control may be rooted in more intricate and adaptable cognitive models than previously thought. Oculomotor SoA as addressed in the present study presumably represents an important cognitive foundation of gaze-based social interaction (social sense of agency) or gaze-based human-machine interaction scenarios. Public significance statementIn this study, sense of agency for eye movements in the non-social domain is investigated in detail, using both explicit and implicit measures. Therefore, it offers novel and specific insights into comprehending sense of agency concerning effects induced by eye movements, as well as broader insights into agency pertaining to entirely newly acquired types of action-effect associations. Oculomotor sense of agency presumably represents an important cognitive foundation of gaze-based social interaction (social agency) or gaze-based human-machine interaction scenarios. Due to peculiarities of the oculomotor domain such as the varying degree of volitional control, eye movements could provide new information regarding more general theories of sense of agency in future research.

When Good Intention Goes Away: Social Feedback Modulates the Influence of Outcome Valence on Temporal Binding.

The retrospective view of temporal binding (TB), the temporal contraction between one's actions and their effects, proposes that TB is influenced by what happens after the action. However, the role of the interaction between multiple sources of information following the action in the formation of TB has received limited attention. The current study aims to address this gap by investigating the combined influence of social feedback and outcome valence (i.e., positive or negative outcomes) on TB. In Experiment 1, the valenced outcome was followed by either positive or negative social feedback. The results showed that negative social feedback enlarged the difference between TB over negative and positive outcomes relative to positive social feedback. The modulatory effect of social feedback on TB was not observed in the absence of causal beliefs between actions and outcomes (Experiment 2). These results highlight the importance of considering the complex interplay between cognitive, emotional, and social factors in shaping our subjective temporal experience.

The Influence Of Superstitious Beliefs And Magical Thinking On Generation Z's Purchasing Behavior In Indonesia

This research is about delving into the fascinating world of Generation Z behavior, where superstition and mysterious thinking have taken on a real quality as a charming mental component. Superstitious beliefs and magical thinking, regularly formed in frivolity and common explanations, and enchanted thinking, characterized by a belief in strong causality, all influence customer choices. The aim of the research is to determine the influence of consumers' superstitious on their purchasing behavior. Furthermore, data was collected through a questionnaire in Google Forms format and a survey link was sent to consumers via the online communication media "Whats App Channels" due to time and cost limitations apart from making it easier to obtain information about generation z respondents who are willing to fill out the questionnaire. At least 30 consumers participated in the survey during the data collection process and the IBM PSPP 2.0 program was used to analyze the data obtained. As a result of the analysis, all research hypotheses were supported. Therefore, it has been determined that consumers' superstitious beliefs and magical thinking have a positive and significant influence on their purchasing behavior. Through observational investigations and case reflections, we explore the ins and outs of how superstition and fascination intersect with buyer preferences by demonstrating their beneficial value to businesses and marketers by adapting them to better suit the irrational yet effective forces at the commercial center.

The Impossibility and Necessity of Causality in Niklas Luhmann's Theory of Education

AbstractAccording to Niklas Luhmann, causality is both an impossibility and a necessity in education. On the one hand, the task of the teacher is an impossible one, because teaching as communication is a closed system that cannot determine the learning of pupils' psychical system in any causal sense. On the other hand, one cannot practice as a teacher without a belief in causality, i.e., in a causal connection between teaching and learning. In his article “The Child as the Medium of Education,” Luhmann focuses on the enablement of education, despite its impossibility. His answer is that one thing that makes education possible is the emergence of the symbolically generalized medium “the child.” In this article, Lars Qvortrup focuses on Luhmann's understanding of causality. According to Luhmann, causality is not a simple, ontological fact, but the result of the attribution of certain causes to certain effects. The conclusion is that causality as an attribution category — and not causality as an ontological fact — is another thing that makes education possible. Qvortrup also concludes, however, that Luhmann is not alone in criticizing the traditional, mechanical concept of causality. Other contemporary philosophers and sociologists have pointed out that in order to analyze causality in complex social systems, one has to select some causal factors and ignore others. While others do this based on seemingly pure scientific and statistical criteria, Luhmann focuses on attribution as a social construction of causality.

The effects of causal and self-efficacy beliefs on help-seeking for people with depressive complaints: a quasi-experimental online study

BackgroundOnly approximately a third of people with depressive symptoms seek professional health care. Furthermore, people labelled as mentally ill may experience stigmatisation, which can impede help-seeking behaviour.AimTo examine the effects of three vignette-based interventions endorsing biopsychosocial causal beliefs and strengthening self-efficacy on help-seeking intention and behaviour, as well as the predictive values of these variables and previous treatment experience.MethodA quasi-experimental online study utilising a fractioned factorial design was carried out. People were screened for depressive symptoms and their current treatment status. After baseline assessment, they were randomly allocated into one of 24 groups receiving a combination of interventional messages. Actual help-seeking behaviour was measured at follow-ups 3 and 6 months after baseline.ResultsAltogether, N = 1,368 participants were included in the final analyses and N = 983 provided data on their help-seeking behaviour within 3 to 6 months after the baseline assessment. The intention to seek help from a general practitioner or a mental health professional was significantly influenced by the interventions. However, help-seeking behaviour was not influenced by the interventions. On a conceptual level, biopsychosocial causal beliefs (β = 0.09–0.23) and self-efficacy to seek help (β = 0.16–0.25) predicted help-seeking intention. There was a negative interaction effect of both self-efficacy beliefs on intention and behaviour, which changed depending on depression severity. In all models, the intention was the main predictor of actual behaviour. Treatment experience predicted both help-seeking intention and behaviour.ConclusionBiopsychosocial causal beliefs and self-efficacy have a direct effect on help-seeking intention. Interventions should include information on how to actually seek help as a means to strengthen self-efficacy beliefs and simulate previous treatment experience. Further research is needed to investigate the respective interaction effects on intention and behaviour.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00023557, German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00023557. Registered 11 December 2020. World Health Organization, Universal Trial Number: U1111–1264-9954. Registered 16 February 2021.