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The Human Function Compunction: Teleological explanation in adults
Abstract
Research has found that children possess a broad bias in favor of teleological--or purpose-based--explanations of natural phenomena. The current two experiments explored whether adults implicitly possess a similar bias. In Study 1, undergraduates judged a series of statements as "good" (i.e., correct) or "bad" (i.e., incorrect) explanations for why different phenomena occur. Judgments occurred in one of three conditions: fast speeded, moderately speeded, or unspeeded. Participants in speeded conditions judged significantly more scientifically unwarranted teleological explanations as correct (e.g., "the sun radiates heat because warmth nurtures life"), but were not more error-prone on control items (e.g., unwarranted physical explanations such as "hills form because floodwater freezes"). Study 2 extended these findings by examining the relationship between different aspects of adults' "promiscuous teleology" and other variables such as scientific knowledge, religious beliefs, and inhibitory control. Implications of these findings for scientific literacy are discussed.
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“Moreover, the creative power of blind selection also conflicts with our teleological intuitions (in the sense of goal-directedness) about functional complexity, and our intuitive design stance (Kelemen and Rosset 2009; Reiss 2009).”
From Natural Selection Does Care about Truth (2014) · cites this paper as Kelemen and Rosset 2009
In the citing paper
“Subsequent experiments have demonstrated that teleological thinking is a cognitive default, to which people resort if they have no alternative explanations.”
From The Challenge of Evolution to Religion (2019) · cites this paper as Kelemen & Rosset, 2009
In the citing paper
“These intuitions tend to translate in religious beliefs, but they can also contribute to a 103 quasi-religious view on nature [30,31].”
From Fatal attraction: the intuitive appeal of GMO opposition (2015) · cites this paper as [30]
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Hearing God speak? Debunking arguments and everyday religious experiences
Launonen, L. (2023) · International Journal for Philosophy of Religion · doi:10.1007/s11153-023-09896-9 · Cited by 3
“For example, Deborah Kelemen and her colleagues have found that school children (Kelemen, 2004), adults (Kelemen & Rossett, 2009), and even professional physical scientists (Kelemen et al., 2013) display teleological and pur-pose-based reasoning.”
BackgroundLaunonen, L. (2024) · Religious Studies · doi:10.1017/s0034412524000052 · Cited by 3
“…thinking, Deborah Kelemen and her colleagues have conducted numerous studies showing that both children and adults in different countries and even professional scientists display implicit teleological and purpose-based reasoning (Kelemen 2004; Kelemen and Rosset 2009; Kelemen et al. 2013).”
HEURISTIC REASONING OF PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS IN CHEMISTRY TOPICS
Uğraş, M. (2018) · Journal of Baltic Science Education · doi:10.33225/jbse/18.17.356 · Cited by 3
Buchan, L., Hejmadi, M. V., & Hurst, L. D. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-14698-6_2 · Cited by 3
Religion and Frontotemporal Dementia
Block, N., & Miller, B. L. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781316014165.016 · Cited by 3
The 7E Model of the Human Mind: Articulating a Plastic Self for the Cognitive Science of Religion
Geisshuesler, F. A. (2019) · Journal of Cognition and Culture · doi:10.1163/15685373-12340069 · Cited by 3
Are we Teleologically Essentialist?
Joo, S., & Yousif, S. R. (2022) · Cognitive Science · doi:10.1111/cogs.13202 · Cited by 6
The Role of Scholarly Publication in Geocognition and Discipline-Based Geoscience Education Research
Libarkin, J. C. (2013) · Innovations in science education and technology · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6946-5_7 · Cited by 3
Pinxten, R., Desclée, M., & Eens, M. (2016) · International Journal of Science Education · doi:10.1080/09500693.2016.1239139 · Cited by 3
“Teleological thinking is a common type of causal reasoning based on the assumption of a goal, purpose or function (Kelemen, 1999; Kelemen & Rossett, 2009).”
BackgroundHa, M. (2016) · Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education · doi:10.14697/jkase.2016.36.6.0935 · Cited by 3
“Kelemen & Rosset(2009)은 성인들에게서 나타나는 목적론적 사고가 저학년들 에 비해 낮지 않음을 확인하였고, Kelemen et al.(2013)은 학력이 높은 물리과학자들에서도 목적론적 사고가 흔하다고 보고하였다.”
Interactive Effects of Diagrammatic Format and Teleological Beliefs on Tree Thinking
Phillips, B. C., Novick, L. R., Catley, K. M., & Funk, D. J. (2010) · eScholarship (California Digital Library) · Cited by 3
Eastern Spirituality, Mind–Body Practices and Neuro-Rehabilitation
Yeates, G. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781316014165.018 · Cited by 3
Metadata
- Authors
- Kelemen, D., & Rosset, E.
- Affiliations
- Boston University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kelemen, Deborah
- Venue
- Cognition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-04
- Volume
- 111
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 138-143
- ISSN
- 0010-0277 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2073307787
- Cited by
- 480
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 64 · 2019: 52 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 141.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cognition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › Evolution and Science Education
- Social Sciences › Education › Science Education and Pedagogy
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Keywords
- teleological reasoning, implicit reasoning, scientific literacy, religious beliefs, inhibitory control, scientific knowledge, explanation evaluation
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Reading, Religion, Intuition, Young Adult
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