Promiscuous Teleology and the effect of Locus of Control

Abstract

Research conducted in the USA suggests that adults possess a bias towards teleological – or purpose-based – explanations of natural objects and phenomena, known as Promiscuous Teleology (PT). This study aimed to investigate PT using an Irish sample. Participants judged a series of statements about why different natural phenomena occur as correct/incorrect. There were two experimental conditions where participants responded under speeded conditions, and a control condition where participants were not pressured. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed that participants in the experimental conditions judged significantly more scientifically unwarranted teleological explanations (e.g., ‘The sun makes light so that plants can photosynthesise’) correct than participants in the control condition. Significantly, participants were not more error-prone on control item explanations (e.g., ‘Polar bears are white because the sun bleaches them’, an unwarranted physical-causal explanation) in experimental conditions, supporting teleology as a default cognitive process. Follow-up analyses of variance revealed that distinctions between explicit and implicit teleological explanations made in the literature are valid. This study also sought to establish whether individual differences could predict PT. Locus of Control, measured with a self-report psychometric test, did not correlate with PT in a Multiple Linear Regression. Possible interpretations of these results, alongside their implications, are discussed.

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