Abstract

Determining whether a behavior can be said intentional is one of the most important aspects of philosophical and psychological investigation, even before the law. In this paper we report some experimental results that highlight how the concepts of "direct intention", "negligence", and "recklessness" subtend different and distinguishable psychological processes, suggesting different "degrees" of intentionality. In this vein, we suggested that experimental psychology and cognitive science could contribute to better explain the concept of mens rea, and set a new basis for the issue of guilt.