Are current theories of moral responsibility missing a factor in the attribution of blame and praise? Four studies demonstrated that even when cause, intention, and outcome (factors generally assumed to be sufficient for the ascription of moral responsibility) are all present, blame and praise are discounted when the factors are not linked together in the usual manner (i.e., cases of ‘‘causal d...

Moral sensitivity is the first component of the 4-component moral action process (J. R. Rest, 1986). The author reviews moral sensitivity operationalization and measurement across multiple samples and domains. She reviews 3 definitions of the construct (i.e., recognition and affective response, recognition, and recognition and ascription of importance) and measurement instruments based on these...

Following up on existing, mixed findings in the literature on social cognition in old age different aspects of theory of mind were investigated in younger and older adults. In line with some previous findings, older participants--though matched with the younger ones on crystallized abilities--performed significantly worse both on tasks requiring the ascription of complex intentional attitudes t...

We propose expression simplification and tree compression as aids in understanding the evolution of regular structure in Genetic Programming individuals. We apply the analysis to two previously-published algorithms, which aimed to promote regular and repeated structure. One relies on subtree duplication operators, the other uses repeated evaluation during a developmental process. Both successfu...

Intelligent agents who are situated in nuiltiagent domains must reason about one anotIters' actions and plans. Following the tradition of earlier work in A l , we present a model of plan recognition as belief and intention ascript ion, an inherently defeasible reasoning process. However, we encode this process using a direct argumentation system. Wi th in this system, we can make explicit state...

Some researchers have proposed that what accounts for children’s earlier ability to reason by means of desire compared to reasoning by means of belief is the fact that desires do not necessarily invoke the ability to metarepresent. In this paper, I argue that this is a misconception stemming from the confusion between desire ascription and simple desire states. In other words, there would be no...

That associative processing provides the vehicle of thought is a long-standing idea. We describe here observations from cognitive neuroimaging that elucidate the neural processing that mediates this element. This account further allows a more specific ascription of a cognitive function to the brain’s ‘‘default’’ activity in mindwandering. We extend this account to argue that one primary outcome...

I argue that some cases of delusions show the inadequacy of those theories of interpretation that rely on a necessary rationality constraint on belief ascription. In particular I challenge the view that irrational beliefs can be ascribed only against a general background of rationality. Subjects affected by delusions seem to be genuine believers and their behaviour can be successfully explained...

Abstract The notion of biological function is fraught with difficulties—intrinsically and irremediably so, we argue. physiological practice functional ascription originates from a time when organisms were thought to be designed remained largely unchanged since. In secularized worldview, this creates paradox which accounts functions as selected effect attempt resolve. This attempt, argue, misses...

Abstract This paper shows the results of archeometallurgical study 31 iron pieces, 23 bronze 1 silver, and gold piece found in archeological site La Ulaña, which is located north Spain foothills Cantabrian Mountains, that lived its period greatest splendor coinciding with Second Iron Age. The basic chemical microstructural analyses iron- copper-based objects provide an overview use these metals...