propensus

Propensus is a term used in contemporary cognitive science and philosophy of mind to describe a predisposition to attribute purpose, intention, or agency to events, processes, or systems, even in the absence of evidence of intentional design. It is discussed as a bias that shapes how people interpret sequences of actions, particularly in human–machine interactions and complex systems.

Etymology: The word is a neologism formed from Latin propensus, meaning inclined or predisposed, paired with the English suffix -ensus to suggest a tending or inclination.

Origins and usage: The term was proposed in recent discourse as a way to carve out a specific type of agency attribution distinct from anthropomorphism or the intentional stance. Propensus is used to describe both everyday cognitive inferences and design-driven expectations in technology interface studies.

Relation to other concepts and criticisms: It overlaps with apophenia, anthropomorphism, and the intentional stance, but proponents argue it emphasizes the active inference of goals rather than mere pattern recognition. Critics say the concept lacks clear operational definitions and empirical measures, limiting its falsifiability and applicability.

See also: In scholarly discussions, propensus is often considered alongside apophenia, anthropomorphism, and the intentional stance, as well as debates on agency attribution and AI interpretability.