We use a connectionist model which relies on the
encoding of lempnjral relationships a m o n g events to
investigate the role of causal mechanisms in causal
attribution. Mechanisms are encoded as intervening
events with temporal extent that occur between the
offset of a causal event and the onset of an effect. In
one set of simulations, the presence of intervening
events facilitated acquisition of a relationship between
cause and effect via the mechanism. In a second set of
simulations, prior experience with mechanisms
enhanced development of a cause-effect relationship
during later training absent the mechanism. The results
provide evidence that causal mechanisms can facilitate
causal attribution via H u m e a n cues-to-causality.