Examining the replicability of the knobe effect

Author
َAzim Rasouli Manesh
Abstract
Experimental philosophy is a growing field in cognitive science and philosophical-psychological issues. The side-effect effect (or Knobe Effect) is a well-known topic in this area. The Knobe Effect refers to the tendency of people to judge harmful side effects of an agent’s behavior as intentional, while perceiving beneficial side effects of the same behavior as unintentional. The present study aimed to re-examine the replicability of the Knobe Effect using various scenarios. Sixteen scenarios (8 harm and 8 help) were designed and administered to a total of 416 Iranian university students (exactly 26 participants per scenario). Data were analyzed using the chi-square test. The chi-square statistic was 106.87 for harm scenarios and 39.45 for help scenarios (both significant at p < 0.01). Contrary to Knobe’s original findings, the asymmetric pattern (higher intentionality attribution in harm conditions than in help conditions) was not observed in any of the scenarios. Thus, the Knobe Effect was not replicated in the present study with an Iranian sample and diverse scenarios, and its replicability was not confirmed.
Keywords
Knobe Effect
Joshua Knobe
Side Effect
Experimental Philosophy
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