Story order in attribution of moral responsibility

Abstract Discourse comprehension relies on the construction of a mental model that represents unfolding in time events described. In causal scenarios, where action one agent (the enabler) temporally precedes and enables another causer), discourse may reflect underlying event structure by describing enabler’s first then causer’s (story order) or describe (backward order). Studies literature have shown adults consider causers to be more responsible than enablers moral scenarios. Based assumption story order favors events, we conducted an experiment test prediction preference for causer over enabler should greater when are presented backward order. The participants were 42 fifth-grade children, adolescents, adults. results confirmed all three groups participants. We discuss practical implications these learning contexts, legal psychology judgments.