Causal Inference

Lea
Journal Club
Dec 2018

What is Causal Inference?

We want to gain knowledge about mechanisms!

"3rd variable problems"

Counfounders, colliders, mediators,

selection bias...

                                                                                            RCTs!

Or is it?

• Selection bias (cut-off,...)

  • clinical vs healthy sample

• Questionnaires

  • personality, childhood adversity...

• Covariates (age, gender, SES)

• Context (?)

Statistical Control

for 3rd variables

often lacks justification

What variables need to be controlled for?

Which can be ignored?

In which case will statistical control worsen inference?

Domain Knowledge

Assumptions

Directed Acyclic Graphs

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