4.3 Causal chains & causal mechanism (1)

• “fail to ascertain how and why such causal effects arise” (K. Imai 2011, 3)
• D → E → F → G → H → I → J → Y,
  • Causal relationship between D and Y requires causal process between the two
  • Bunch of mediating variables (K. Imai et al. 2011)
  • Process between D and Y of certain duration
  • Process sometimes called ‘causal mechanism’
• Often we do not measure process (see process tracing )
• Zoom in or out

References

Imai, Kosuke. 2011. “Introduction to the Virtual Issue: Past and Future Research Agenda on Causal Inference.” Political Analysis.

Imai, Kosuke, Luke Keele, Dustin Tingley, and Teppei Yamamoto. 2011. “Unpacking the Black Box of Causality: Learning About Causal Mechanisms from Experimental and Observational Studies.” Am. Polit. Sci. Rev. 105 (04): 765–89.