reverse causality

the common error of mistaking cause for effect and vice versa. Asking whether an event or condition considered to be the cause of a phenomenon might in reality be its effect can be a useful check against preconceptions and generate fresh, challenging ideas. For example, the poverty of Mr. X may be seen as an effect of his financial irresponsibility, but what if this presumed irresponsibility is in fact an effect of his poverty? Considering a reversed causality is also a useful strategy for dealing with correlational data. See also false cause; historical fallacy.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

February 23rd 2025

anal eroticism

in psychoanalytic theory, pleasurable sensations associated with expulsion, retention, or observation of the feces or through stimulation of the anus. These sensations first arise in the anal stage of psychosexual development, between the ages of 1 and 3. Also called anal erotism. See also anal personality; coprophilia.