The Quest for Causality

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from Chapter 1 of 'The Quest for Causality'.

Causality

The relationship between cause and effect; understanding if one event causes another.

Evidence

Information that people can verify, which supports claims in the scientific process.

Correlation

A statistical relationship between two variables, where they move together.

Endogeneity

A situation where an independent variable is correlated with the error term in a model, complicating causal claims.

Exogeneity

A condition where an independent variable is not correlated with the error term, allowing for clearer causal inferences.

Dependent Variable (Y)

The outcome of interest in a causal relationship, which depends on changes in the independent variable.

Independent Variable (X)

A presumed cause of change in the dependent variable; it is manipulated in an experiment.

Randomness

The unpredictable element present in data that may obscure genuine relationships between variables.

Error Term (ε)

The component in a statistical model that accounts for variability in Y not explained by X.

Randomized Experiment

A study design where participants are randomly assigned to groups, minimizing bias and allowing for causal conclusions.

Internal Validity

The extent to which an experiment accurately establishes a causal relationship without bias.

External Validity

The degree to which the findings of an experiment can be generalized to contexts beyond the study.

Scatterplot

A graphical representation showing the relationship between two quantitative variables.

Slope Coefficient (β₁)

The measure of how much the dependent variable is expected to change with a one-unit change in the independent variable.

Control Group

The group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment; used for comparative purposes.

Treatment Group

The group in an experiment that receives the treatment or intervention being tested.

Independent Variable

A variable whose variation does not depend on another variable; it is manipulated to observe effects on the dependent variable.