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4 - Experiments and Causality

from Part I - The Philosophy and Methodology of Experimentation in Sociology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2024

Davide Barrera
Affiliation:
Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy
Klarita Gërxhani
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
Bernhard Kittel
Affiliation:
Universität Wien, Austria
Luis Miller
Affiliation:
Institute of Public Goods and Policies, Spanish National Research Council
Tobias Wolbring
Affiliation:
School of Business, Economics and Society at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg
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Summary

Sociology is a science concerning itself with the interpretive understanding of social action and thereby with a causal explanation of its course and consequences. Empirically, a key goal is to find relations between variables. This is often done using naturally occurring data, survey data, or in-depth interviews. With such data, the challenge is to establish whether a relation between variables is causal or merely a correlation. One approach is to address the causality issue by applying proper statistical or econometric techniques, which is possible under certain conditions for some research questions. Alternatively, one can generate new data with experimental control in a laboratory or the field. It is precisely through this control via randomization and the manipulation of the causal factors of interest that the experimental method ensures – with a high degree of confidence – tests of causal explanations. In this chapter, the canonical approach to causality in randomized experiments (the Neyman–Rubin causal model) is first introduced. This model formalizes the idea of causality using the "potential outcomes" or "counterfactual" approach. The chapter then discusses the limits of the counterfactual approach and the key role of theory in establishing causal explanations in experimental sociology.

Type
Chapter
Information
Experimental Sociology
Outline of a Scientific Field
, pp. 40 - 51
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Experiments and Causality
  • Davide Barrera, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy, Klarita Gërxhani, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Bernhard Kittel, Universität Wien, Austria, Luis Miller, Institute of Public Goods and Policies, Spanish National Research Council, Tobias Wolbring, School of Business, Economics and Society at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg
  • Book: Experimental Sociology
  • Online publication: 23 November 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009099653.006
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  • Experiments and Causality
  • Davide Barrera, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy, Klarita Gërxhani, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Bernhard Kittel, Universität Wien, Austria, Luis Miller, Institute of Public Goods and Policies, Spanish National Research Council, Tobias Wolbring, School of Business, Economics and Society at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg
  • Book: Experimental Sociology
  • Online publication: 23 November 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009099653.006
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Experiments and Causality
  • Davide Barrera, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy, Klarita Gërxhani, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Bernhard Kittel, Universität Wien, Austria, Luis Miller, Institute of Public Goods and Policies, Spanish National Research Council, Tobias Wolbring, School of Business, Economics and Society at the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg
  • Book: Experimental Sociology
  • Online publication: 23 November 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009099653.006
Available formats
×