• Korean Journal of Logic
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.47-67
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• 2005

Bayesian networks have been used in studying and simulating causal inferences by using the probability function distributed over the variables consisting of inquiry space. The focus of the debates concerning Bayesian networks is the causal Markov condition that constrains the probabilistic independence between all the variables which are not in the causal relations. Cartwright, a strong critic about the Bayesian network theory, argues that the causal Markov condition cannot hold in indeterministic systems, so it cannot be a valid principle for causal inferences. The purpose of the paper is to explore whether her argument on the causal Markov condition is valid. Mainly, I shall argue that it is possible for upholders of the causal Markov condition to respond properly the criticism of Cartwright through the continuous causal model that permits the infinite sequence of causal events.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.329-347
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• 2017

Early research into category-based feature inference reported various phenomena in human thinking including typicality, diversity, similarity effects, etc. Later research discovered that participants' prior knowledge has an extensive influence on these sorts of reasoning. The current research tested the effects of causal knowledge on feature inference and conducted modeling on the results. Participants performed feature inference for categories consisted of four features where the features were connected either in common cause or common effect structure. The results showed typicality effects along with violations of causal Markov condition in common cause structure and causal discounting in common effect structure. To model the results, it was assumed that participants perform feature inference based on the difference between the probabilities of an exemplar with the target feature and an exemplar without the target feature (that is, $p(E_{F(X)}{\mid}Cat)-p(E_{F({\sim}X)}{\mid}Cat)$). Exemplar probabilities were computed based on causal model theory (Rehder, 2003) and applied to inference for target features. The results showed that the model predicts not only typicality effects but also violations of causal Markov condition and causal discounting observed in participants' data.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.59-72
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• 2021

Concepts and categories offer the basis for inference pertaining to unobserved features. Prior research on category-based induction that used blank properties has suggested that similarity between categories and features explains feature inference (Rips, 1975; Osherson et al., 1990). However, it was shown by later research that prior knowledge had a large influence on category-based inference and cases were reported where similarity effects completely disappeared. Thus, this study tested category-based feature inference when features are connected in a causal chain and proposed a feature inference model that predicts participants' inference ratings. Each participant learned a category with four features connected in a causal chain and then performed feature inference tasks for an unobserved feature in various exemplars of the category. The results revealed nonindependence, that is, the features not only linked directly to the target feature but also to those screened-off by other feature nodes and affected feature inference (a violation of the causal Markov condition). Feature inference model of causal model theory (Sloman, 2005) explained nonindependence by predicting the effects of directly linked features and indirectly related features. Indirect features equally affected participants' inference regardless of causal distance, and the model predicted smaller effects regarding causally distant features.