Intentionality bias

Biological Parallel

Agency over-attribution is universal across vertebrates. Skinner's pigeons developed superstitious behaviors from random food delivery within minutes. Chimpanzees retaliate against accidental social transgressions as though they were intentional. Dogs distinguish willing from unable withholding but default to intentional interpretation under ambiguity. Rats build causal narratives quickly but dismantle them slowly. The underlying mechanism: asymmetric error costs select for brains that assume agency first and verify second.