Hypersensitive Agency Detection

Synonyms

Hyperactive agency detection; Intentionality bias

Definition

Hypersensitive agency detection (HAD) is the tendency to attribute agency and intentionality where it does not exist or is unlikely to exist (Barrett 2004).

Introduction

Research has shown that people commonly interpret the movement of two-dimensional geometric shapes as being intentional and agentic. For example, in a classic study by Heider and Simmel (1944), participants were asked to view an animation in which three shapes (a large triangle, a small triangle, and a small circle) moved around a screen and in and out of an opening and closing rectangular box. Heider and Simmel found that the majority of participants described the movement of shapes as they would describe the intentional and goal-directed behavior of animals and humans. Participants also often created a story about the shapes (e.g., a person chasing another person), the emotions they experienced (e.g., fear, frustration), and their personal...