Why did the chicken cross the road? Evaluating the validity of causal inferences.
Item
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Title
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Why did the chicken cross the road? Evaluating the validity of causal inferences.
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Identifier
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AAI3083646
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identifier
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3083646
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Creator
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Buteau, Ellie A.
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Contributor
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Adviser: David Rindskopf
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Date
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2003
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Social | Statistics | Education, Tests and Measurements
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Abstract
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The concept of causality remains a controversial issue in social scientific research. For decades, researchers have used the Elaboration Model, established in sociology, and the Validity Typology, established in psychology, as frameworks for analyzing causal inferences. Rubin's Causal Model, developed in statistics and not widely known in the social sciences, offers a system of causal effect equations and a causal variable definition that contribute interesting insights to the evaluation of causal inferences. Each of these three models was applied to three published research articles. The comparison of applications demonstrates some disagreement over what constitutes a valid causal inference, and also highlights areas in each model that could benefit from clarification. A resulting list of guidelines was developed for researchers to consider when designing and interpreting research meant for causal inferences.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
