Survey Results

Causation: process/production, counterfactual/difference-making, nonexistent, or primitive?


892 respondents
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What the percentages mean: "Accept or lean toward P: 50% (40%)" means that 50% of respondents endorsed this answer inclusively (including multiple-answer endorsements) and 40% endorsed this answer exclusively (excluding multiple-answer endorsements).

These results should not be used for comparison to 2009 results due to different populations and parameters. For meaningful longitudinal comparisons, see the longitudinal analysis section.

Accept or lean towards:
counterfactual/difference-making
37.22% (33.41%)
Reject or lean against:
counterfactual/difference-making
0.56% (0.00%)
Accept or lean towards:
process/production
22.53% (18.72%)
Reject or lean against:
process/production
0.34% (0.00%)
Accept or lean towards:
primitive
20.52% (18.95%)
Reject or lean against:
primitive
1.57% (0.00%)
Accept or lean towards:
nonexistent
4.15% (3.81%)
Reject or lean against:
nonexistent
3.03% (0.00%)
Accept a combination of views
4.48%
Accept an alternative view
3.92%
The question is too unclear to answer
2.80%
There is no fact of the matter
1.12%
Agnostic/undecided
12.44%
Other
0.34%
N = 892, excluding skipped & insufficiently familiar (257 respondents)
Alternative Views

48 target respondents indicated that they accept or lean toward an alternative view. The words used in their responses cluster as follows. These results are not filtered by AOS, region, etc.

  • PLUR (7): pluralism (5) pluralist (2)
  • POWE (5): powers (5)
  • DISP (4): dispositional (2) dispositions (1) dispositionalism (1)
  • LAWS (4): laws (4)
  • EXPL (3): explanation (1) explanatory (1) explain (1)
  • CONC (3): concept (1) concise (1) concepts (1)
  • MULT (3): multiple (2) multimodal (1)
  • CONT (3): contextualist (1) contextualism (1) contexts (1)
  • GROU (3): grounded (3)
  • PROB (3): probabilistic (3)
  • RELA (2): relative (1) relations (1)

Longitudinal comparison to 2009 survey

This question was not in the 2009 survey

Strongest correlations with main questions (target population)

r: 0.27
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 139 163
Reject 102 342
n: 746
p < 0.0001
r: -0.27
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 50 90
Reject 341 187
n: 668
p < 0.0001
r: 0.27
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 62 62
Reject 109 336
n: 569
p < 0.0001
r: 0.26
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 65 77
Reject 88 387
n: 617
p < 0.0001
r: 0.26
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 46 76
Reject 56 345
n: 523
p < 0.0001
r: 0.26
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 74 77
Reject 110 380
n: 641
p < 0.0001
r: 0.25
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 8 10
Reject 27 334
n: 379
p < 0.0001
r: -0.25
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 23 148
Reject 214 354
n: 739
p < 0.0001
r: 0.24
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 126 124
Reject 118 256
n: 624
p < 0.0001
r: -0.24
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 60 84
Reject 305 188
n: 637
p < 0.0001
r: 0.24
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 99 104
Reject 84 234
n: 521
p < 0.0001
r: 0.24
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 11 13
Reject 41 446
n: 511
p < 0.0001
r: 0.24
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 6 18
Reject 11 492
n: 527
p < 0.0001
r: 0.24
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 196 79
Reject 199 200
n: 674
p < 0.0001
r: 0.24
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 64 107
Reject 97 492
n: 760
p < 0.0001
r: 0.23
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 38 69
Reject 40 333
n: 480
p < 0.0001
r: -0.23
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 66 96
Reject 372 193
n: 727
p < 0.0001
r: 0.23
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 212 88
Reject 230 204
n: 734
p < 0.0001
r: 0.22
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 135 99
Reject 159 217
n: 610
p < 0.0001
r: -0.22
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 48 101
Reject 276 220
n: 645
p < 0.0001
r: 0.21
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 143 123
Reject 146 274
n: 686
p < 0.0001
r: 0.21
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 95 37
Reject 229 202
n: 563
p < 0.0001
r: 0.21
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 251 23
Reject 329 95
n: 698
p < 0.0001
r: -0.21
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 40 121
Reject 233 306
n: 700
p < 0.0001
r: 0.21
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 110 55
Reject 244 299
n: 708
p < 0.0001
r: 0.21
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 27 169
Reject 29 306
n: 531
p < 0.0001
r: 0.21
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 118 55
Reject 276 322
n: 771
p < 0.0001
r: 0.21
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 76 31
Reject 147 209
n: 463
p < 0.0001
r: 0.21
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 32 152
Reject 33 300
n: 517
p < 0.0001
r: 0.2
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 50 62
Reject 116 269
n: 497
p < 0.0001
r: 0.2
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 150 89
Reject 172 207
n: 618
p < 0.0001
r: 0.2
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 16 12
Reject 109 387
n: 524
p < 0.0001
r: 0.2
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 105 66
Reject 109 138
n: 418
p < 0.0001
r: 0.2
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 7 17
Reject 48 389
n: 461
p < 0.0001
r: 0.2
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 149 31
Reject 371 211
n: 762
p < 0.0001
r: 0.2
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 87 63
Reject 178 326
n: 654
p < 0.0001
r: 0.2
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 5 23
Reject 24 547
n: 599
p < 0.0001
r: -0.19
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 55 94
Reject 236 219
n: 604
p < 0.0001
r: -0.19
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 50 182
Reject 125 218
n: 575
p < 0.0001
r: 0.19
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 93 139
Reject 98 287
n: 617
p < 0.0001
r: 0.19
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 22 11
Reject 217 490
n: 740
p < 0.0001
r: -0.19
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 107 50
Reject 466 67
n: 690
p < 0.0001
r: 0.19
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 145 148
Reject 131 285
n: 709
p < 0.0001
r: 0.19
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 231 86
Reject 274 188
n: 779
p < 0.0001
r: 0.19
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 42 78
Reject 59 329
n: 508
p < 0.0001
r: 0.18
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 160 106
Reject 170 217
n: 653
p < 0.0001
r: -0.18
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 43 114
Reject 243 278
n: 678
p < 0.0001
r: -0.18
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 40 270
Reject 119 342
n: 771
p < 0.0001
r: -0.18
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 61 141
Reject 150 168
n: 520
p < 0.0001
r: 0.18
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 8 14
Reject 84 420
n: 526
p < 0.0001
r: -0.18
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 33 109
Reject 208 268
n: 618
p < 0.0001
r: -0.18
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 15 125
Reject 109 369
n: 618
p < 0.0001
r: -0.18
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 6 21
Reject 298 227
n: 552
p < 0.0001
r: 0.18
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 107 86
Reject 112 208
n: 513
p < 0.0001
r: -0.18
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 51 208
Reject 134 256
n: 649
p < 0.0001
r: 0.18
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 26 158
Reject 24 274
n: 482
p < 0.0001
r: 0.18
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 49 100
Reject 78 412
n: 639
p < 0.0001
r: -0.18
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 36 72
Reject 166 165
n: 439
p: 0.0002
r: -0.18
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 5 19
Reject 218 221
n: 463
p < 0.0001
r: 0.18
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 181 89
Reject 188 184
n: 642
p < 0.0001
r: 0.18
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 67 177
Reject 58 323
n: 625
p < 0.0001
r: 0.17
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 16 69
Reject 36 269
n: 390
p: 0.0006
r: 0.17
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 6 25
Reject 35 701
n: 767
p < 0.0001
r: -0.17
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 81 184
Reject 186 210
n: 661
p < 0.0001
r: -0.17
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 17 152
Reject 98 462
n: 729
p < 0.0001
r: 0.17
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 90 126
Reject 93 228
n: 537
p < 0.0001
r: 0.17
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 7 16
Reject 77 460
n: 560
p < 0.0001
r: -0.17
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 22 184
Reject 82 239
n: 527
p < 0.0001
r: 0.17
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 55 78
Reject 67 183
n: 383
p: 0.0009
r: 0.17
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 69 101
Reject 71 224
n: 465
p: 0.0003
r: -0.17
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 17 90
Reject 123 231
n: 461
p: 0.0003
r: 0.17
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 57 40
Reject 103 180
n: 380
p: 0.001
r: -0.17
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 25 96
Reject 156 238
n: 515
p: 0.0002
r: 0.17
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 41 115
Reject 40 196
n: 392
p: 0.001
r: -0.16
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 86 85
Reject 404 186
n: 761
p < 0.0001
r: -0.16
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 49 266
Reject 115 339
n: 769
p < 0.0001
r: -0.16
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 32 118
Reject 157 304
n: 611
p < 0.0001
r: 0.16
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 226 89
Reject 268 187
n: 770
p < 0.0001
r: 0.16
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 38 146
Reject 59 275
n: 518
p: 0.0002
r: -0.16
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 69 101
Reject 157 140
n: 467
p: 0.0005
r: 0.16
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 90 68
Reject 233 311
n: 702
p < 0.0001
r: 0.16
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 59 73
Reject 106 296
n: 534
p: 0.0002
r: -0.16
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 8 20
Reject 293 203
n: 524
p: 0.0003
r: -0.16
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 56 87
Reject 264 205
n: 612
p < 0.0001
r: -0.16
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 54 162
Reject 124 197
n: 537
p: 0.0002
r: -0.16
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 22 12
Reject 587 123
n: 744
p < 0.0001
r: 0.16
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 57 120
Reject 100 485
n: 762
p < 0.0001
r: -0.16
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 49 155
Reject 119 216
n: 539
p: 0.0003
r: 0.15
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 32 106
Reject 56 389
n: 583
p: 0.0002
r: 0.15
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 47 160
Reject 45 277
n: 529
p: 0.0004
r: 0.15
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 144 104
Reject 153 195
n: 596
p: 0.0002
r: -0.15
Causation: primitive Accept Reject
Accept 42 109
Reject 210 294
n: 655
p < 0.0001
r: 0.15
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 80 126
Reject 85 237
n: 528
p: 0.0004
r: -0.15
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 25 6
Reject 650 85
n: 766
p < 0.0001
r: 0.15
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 15 16
Reject 187 493
n: 711
p < 0.0001
r: -0.15
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 112 111
Reject 216 131
n: 570
p: 0.0003
r: 0.15
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 7 20
Reject 49 450
n: 526
p: 0.0005
r: -0.15
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Accept Reject
Accept 122 170
Reject 236 188
n: 716
p < 0.0001
r: -0.15
Causation: nonexistent Accept Reject
Accept 28 1
Reject 642 6
n: 677
p < 0.0001
r: 0.15
Causation: process/production Accept Reject
Accept 85 92
Reject 181 350
n: 708
p < 0.0001

Strongest correlations with demographic questions (target population)

r: 0.19
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 39 142
Reject 39 582
n: 802
p < 0.0001
r: -0.18
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 12 317
Reject 66 416
n: 811
p < 0.0001
r: 0.16
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 19 122
Reject 15 460
n: 616
p < 0.0001
r: 0.16
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 48 205
Reject 33 334
n: 620
p < 0.0001
r: -0.15
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 5 248
Reject 29 338
n: 620
p: 0.0002
r: -0.14
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 13 168
Reject 92 529
n: 802
p < 0.0001
r: 0.14
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 15 166
Reject 12 609
n: 802
p < 0.0001
r: 0.14
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 307 19
Reject 416 57
n: 799
p < 0.0001
r: -0.14
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 12 169
Reject 79 542
n: 802
p < 0.0001
r: 0.14
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 18 235
Reject 6 361
n: 620
p: 0.0005
r: 0.14
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 31 222
Reject 20 347
n: 620
p: 0.0006
r: 0.13
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 65 188
Reject 54 313
n: 620
p: 0.0008
r: -0.13
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 7 134
Reject 63 412
n: 616
p: 0.001
r: -0.13
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 16 125
Reject 103 372
n: 616
p: 0.001
r: -0.12
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 22 154
Reject 137 450
n: 763
p: 0.0009
r: 0.12
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 14 127
Reject 14 461
n: 616
p: 0.0036
r: -0.11
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 78 251
Reject 148 334
n: 811
p: 0.0014
r: 0.11
Causation: nonexistent Yes No
Accept 7 26
Reject 41 541
n: 615
p: 0.0063
r: -0.11
Causation: process/production Yes No
Accept 11 135
Reject 66 378
n: 590
p: 0.0078
r: -0.11
Causation: process/production Yes No
Accept 5 194
Reject 32 578
n: 809
p: 0.0021
r: -0.11
Causation: process/production Yes No
Accept 163 31
Reject 558 45
n: 797
p: 0.0024
r: 0.11
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 39 214
Reject 31 336
n: 620
p: 0.0075
r: 0.1
Causation: process/production Yes No
Accept 11 183
Reject 12 591
n: 797
p: 0.003
r: 0.1
Causation: process/production Yes No
Accept 8 143
Reject 7 461
n: 619
p: 0.0091
r: -0.1
Causation: nonexistent Yes No
Accept 5 32
Reject 185 580
n: 802
p: 0.004
r: 0.09
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 31 145
Reject 49 538
n: 763
p: 0.0088
r: 0.09
Causation: process/production Yes No
Accept 10 141
Reject 9 459
n: 619
p: 0.0193
r: 0.09
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 25 107
Reject 52 402
n: 586
p: 0.0228
r: 0.09
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 18 123
Reject 33 442
n: 616
p: 0.0202
r: 0.09
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 24 305
Reject 14 468
n: 811
p: 0.008
r: -0.09
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 20 163
Reject 107 511
n: 801
p: 0.0084
r: -0.09
Causation: nonexistent Yes No
Accept 5 32
Reject 217 548
n: 802
p: 0.0086
r: 0.09
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 21 308
Reject 12 470
n: 811
p: 0.0083
r: 0.09
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 55 274
Reject 50 432
n: 811
p: 0.0084
r: -0.09
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 9 244
Reject 30 337
n: 620
p: 0.0214
r: 0.09
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 157 156
Reject 209 243
n: 765
p: 0.0107
r: 0.09
Causation: nonexistent Yes No
Accept 5 32
Reject 24 741
n: 802
p: 0.0093
r: -0.09
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 6 247
Reject 19 348
n: 620
p: 0.0227
r: -0.09
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 6 126
Reject 49 405
n: 586
p: 0.0281
r: 0.09
Causation: process/production Yes No
Accept 11 188
Reject 18 592
n: 809
p: 0.0104
r: -0.09
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 15 238
Reject 36 331
n: 620
p: 0.0256
r: 0.09
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 36 105
Reject 83 392
n: 616
p: 0.0285
r: -0.09
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 7 174
Reject 31 590
n: 802
p: 0.0158
r: -0.08
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 37 216
Reject 83 284
n: 620
p: 0.0364
r: -0.08
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 15 311
Reject 38 435
n: 799
p: 0.0177
r: 0.08
Causation: process/production Yes No
Accept 105 41
Reject 301 143
n: 590
p: 0.0421
r: 0.08
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 17 124
Reject 47 428
n: 616
p: 0.0381
r: 0.08
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 24 304
Reject 16 466
n: 810
p: 0.0193
r: 0.08
Causation: process/production Yes No
Accept 70 129
Reject 156 454
n: 809
p: 0.0197
r: 0.08
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 17 236
Reject 14 353
n: 620
p: 0.043
r: 0.08
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 29 152
Reject 74 547
n: 802
p: 0.0215
r: 0.08
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 168 12
Reject 546 64
n: 790
p: 0.0238
r: 0.08
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 50 279
Reject 42 440
n: 811
p: 0.0241
r: -0.08
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 9 320
Reject 31 451
n: 811
p: 0.0244
r: -0.08
Causation: process/production Yes No
Accept 6 145
Reject 43 425
n: 619
p: 0.0494
r: 0.07
Causation: nonexistent Yes No
Accept 8 28
Reject 113 641
n: 790
p: 0.036
r: 0.07
Causation: nonexistent Yes No
Accept 7 30
Reject 156 609
n: 802
p: 0.0359
r: -0.07
Causation: nonexistent Yes No
Accept 5 32
Reject 86 679
n: 802
p: 0.039
r: -0.07
Causation: counterfactual/difference-making Yes No
Accept 27 302
Reject 57 425
n: 811
p: 0.047
r: 0.07
Causation: primitive Yes No
Accept 64 117
Reject 159 462
n: 802
p: 0.0486