Intentionen sind also noch kein klar bestimmtes Konzept. Was genau bedeuten Intentionen? Welche Rolle spielen Intentionen bei sozialen Interaktionen? Und wie weisen Menschen anderen Absichtlichkeit zu? Gerade die letzte Frage beschäftigt auch die Philosophen. Die Fragebogenstudien des...

Confessions after failures are socially desirable. However, confessions also bear the risk of punishment. In a laboratory experiment I examine how confessions work. I analyze whether the willingness to punish harmful failures depends on how the harmed party has learned about the outcome. The...

An apology is a strong and cheap device to restore social or economic relationships that have been disturbed. In a laboratory experiment we find that harmdoers use apologies in particular if they fear punishment and when their intentions cannot be easily inferred. After offenses with ambiguous...

Do people blame or praise others for producing negative or positive externalities? The experimental philosopher Knobe conducted a questionnaire study that revealed that people blame others for foreseen negative externalities but do not praise them for foreseen positive ones. We find that the...