{
  "id": "programming.execution.computer-infers-intent",
  "uri": "https://open-misconceptions.github.io/miscon-data/m/programming.execution.computer-infers-intent",
  "uuid": "0b67ef75-97f2-4e35-8de8-058b5a78261b",
  "version": "0.1.1",
  "status": "draft",
  "trust": "low",
  "title": "The computer fills in what you meant",
  "statement": "The computer understands the purpose of the program and fills in steps that were left out, so a program does what you meant as long as the intention is clear.",
  "kind": "misapplied-analogy",
  "domain": "programming.execution",
  "about": [
    {
      "scheme": "Miscon",
      "uri": "https://open-misconceptions.github.io/miscon-data/c/programming.execution.literal-interpretation"
    }
  ],
  "level_band": [
    "primary",
    "middle",
    "secondary",
    "undergraduate"
  ],
  "locale": "en",
  "evidence_patterns": [
    {
      "item_shape": "predict the output of a program with a missing step",
      "signature": "predicts the intended output rather than the literal one",
      "example": {
        "item": "numbers = [3, 1, 2]\nprint(numbers)  # print sorted",
        "expected": "[3, 1, 2]",
        "response": "[1, 2, 3]"
      }
    }
  ],
  "discriminators": {
    "vs_slip": "Consistent across items and the learner appeals to what the program is 'for'. A slip is a single misread.",
    "vs": {
      "programming.variables.names-meaningful-to-machine": "The variable-name case is a special case; test with an item where the intention is stated only in a comment."
    }
  },
  "relations": {
    "conflicts_with": [
      {
        "external": "https://open-misconceptions.github.io/miscon-data/c/programming.execution.literal-interpretation",
        "label": "The machine does exactly what the code says"
      }
    ],
    "resolved_by": [
      {
        "external": "https://open-misconceptions.github.io/miscon-data/c/programming.execution.literal-interpretation",
        "label": "The machine does exactly what the code says"
      },
      {
        "external": "https://open-misconceptions.github.io/miscon-data/c/programming.execution.sequential-execution",
        "label": "Statements run one at a time in order"
      }
    ]
  },
  "provenance": {
    "sources": [
      {
        "type": "paper",
        "citation": "Pea, R. D. (1986). Language-independent conceptual \"bugs\" in novice programming. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 2(1), 25-36.",
        "doi": "10.2190/689T-1R2A-X4W4-29J2",
        "note": "Intentionality and egocentrism bugs."
      },
      {
        "type": "book",
        "citation": "Sorva, J. (2012). Visual Program Simulation in Introductory Programming Education (Doctoral dissertation, Aalto University). Appendix A catalogues introductory programming misconceptions from the literature.",
        "url": "https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/3534"
      },
      {
        "type": "paper",
        "citation": "Qian, Y., & Lehman, J. (2017). Students' misconceptions and other difficulties in introductory programming: A literature review. ACM Transactions on Computing Education, 18(1), Article 1.",
        "doi": "10.1145/3077618"
      }
    ],
    "origin": "llm-drafted",
    "notes": "Drafted from the cited literature for the Open Misconceptions seed pack; statement, examples and discriminators are original text. Awaiting maintainer review."
  },
  "history": {
    "changelog": [
      {
        "version": "0.1.1",
        "date": "2026-09-05",
        "change": "Schema 0.2 migration: about/alignments carry a free-string scheme (corestandards.org URLs relabelled CCSS where present); trust computed from reviews[] (none yet, so low); no change to the statement or evidence."
      }
    ]
  },
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0"
}