Causal Schemata and the Attribution of Supernatural Causality

Abstract

The present study sought to explore the causal schemata operating in attributions to supernatural causes. The decision to attribute an event to supernatural as opposed to natural causes was expected to follow a multiple sufficient causes schema. In addition, some religious believers were expected to display partial schemata biased in favor of either natural or supernatural explanations. Students attending a church related college completed a questionnaire assessing their tendency to see God as a causal agent and rated supernatural causality for events in which presence or absence of natural and supernatural explanations was systematically varied. The results provide evidence for the presence of the multiple sufficient causes schema in attributions to supernatural causes, but not for the presence of partial schemata.