When competing actors interpret an outcome of purposive action differently, the likelihood that an actor’s explanation will be accepted by that actor’s support base increases with the explanation’s correspondence to its civilisation and its trust in the actor.
- Explanation. When interpretations compete, acceptance of an explanation is not determined solely by the factual outcome. The correspondence of that explanation to the civilisation elements of the support base and its trust in the actor also play a part. Different support bases may consequently assess the same outcome differently.
Last updated: 2 October 2026