The mind of the market: Lay beliefs about the economy as a willful, goal-oriented agent. (30th August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Forstmann, Matthias; Burgmer, Pascal
• Is Part Of: Behavioral and brain sciences. Volume 41(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-08-30
• Subjects: Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; Human behavior -- Periodicals; Animal behavior -- Periodicals; Brain -- Periodicals; 616.89142
• DOI: 10.1017/S0140525X18000353
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0140-525X

Abstract

Abstract: We propose an extension to Boyer & Petersen's (B&P's) framework for folk-economic beliefs, suggesting that certain evolutionarily acquired cognitive inference systems can cause modern humans to perceive abstract systems such as the economy as willful, goal-oriented agents. Such an anthropomorphized view, we argue, can have meaningful effects on people's moral evaluations of these agents, as well as on their political and economic behavior.