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Self-construal and the processing of covariation information in causal reasoning

Memory & Cognition volume 35, pages 1337–1343 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Causal induction provides a nice test domain for examining the influence of individual-difference factors on cognition. The phenomena of both conditionalization and discounting reflect attention to multiple potential causes when people infer what caused an effect. We explored the hypothesis that individuals with an independent self-construal are relatively less sensitive to context (other causes) than are individuals with an interdependent self-construal in this domain. We found greater levels of conditionalization and data consistent with discounting for participants in whom we primed an interdependent self-construal than for participants in whom we primed an independent self-construal.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Ajou University, 443-749, Suwon, Korea

    Kyungil Kim

  2. University of Texas, Austin, Texas

    Lisa R. Grimm & Arthur B. Markman

Authors
  1. Kyungil Kim
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  2. Lisa R. Grimm
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  3. Arthur B. Markman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kyungil Kim.

Additional information

This research was supported by NIDA Grant NIH 1 R21 DA015211-01A1 to the third author.

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Kim, K., Grimm, L.R. & Markman, A.B. Self-construal and the processing of covariation information in causal reasoning. Memory & Cognition 35, 1337–1343 (2007). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193605

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193605

Keywords

  • Causal Reasoning
  • Experimental Social Psychology
  • Causal Efficacy
  • Causal Induction
  • Contingency Judgment