2nd mid term Flashcards
Can we observe both outcomes at the same time
No, it’s the fundamental problem of causal inference.
Reasons why experimental design is advantageous
-Time Order
-Other influences/factors can be excluded
-Random assignment prevents self-selection
Challenge of experimental design
external validity
How to address the causality issue in Observational studies
Using the experimental logic for observational studies and Quasi-experiments
How to address the causality issue in Experimental studies
- Using a variety of experimental designs, not just
classic experiments - Natural
Experiments - Lab Experiments
- Field
Experiments - Survey
Experiments
X 0 means
Post Test
X O O
Post test with control group: Compare two types of cases/groups of people
01 X 02
Pre and Post test: Compare a case to itself
01 02
X
01 02
Pre and post test design with a control group
X0 0
X3 0
X6 0
X9 0
Dosage Design: Compare cases of different manipulation strength
Most similar systems design
-Cases are as similar as possible
-Very common in regional studies
-Similarity of cases means we control
-If one factor is different between cases, and outcome is different, this is our probable cause for the outcome
-Selection of cases that take on similar values of confounding variables, but different values of a key independent variable
An example of most similar systems design
Why is Ghana more democratic than Togo
Most dissimilar system design
cases that differ on different values for independent variables but take on the same values for the dependant value which allows for the independent value to be disproven as a causal variable
Steps to test causality in observational studies
- Showing a correlation
- Excluding other factors
- Temporal Order
- Control group
- randomization of assignment or equivalent
- Need causal mechanism
Problems with the most similar design system
-The more complicated the operationalization the more difficult is the use of this approach
-Multiple causal factors and causal complexity are hard or impossible to determine.
-Cannot control for all variables
- Deterministic causality but reasoning should be probabilistic
-External validity is potentially low
What Natural experiment did john snow observe
Water contamination in london and association to cholera
Healy and Malhotra
having a sibling that is female and the ideological views of the subject natural experiment
Critique of natural experiments
-Might not always tackle the most important question
-data driven from theorizing
Threats to external validity for experimental designs
-Unrepresentative subjects or case
-Hawthorne effect
-Treatment is applied in a way we wouldn’t see in the real world
Hawthorne effect
People change their behavior because they are being observed (both internal and external).
Characteristics of Lab experiments
-Research in lab or controlled environment
-Researcher in full control
-Complete randomization into treatment and control groups
-Good for internal validity
-Often Cheaper, less time consuming and easier to replicate than field experiments
Lab experiment weaknesses
- Artificial environment - low realism.
- Demand characteristics - participants aware of experiment, may change behaviour to what they think is expected of them.
- Experimenter effects - bias when experimenter’s expectations affect behaviour.
Field experiments characteristics
- A field experiment takes place anywhere in a natural setting; it could take place in a school, hospital, the street or an office.
- People may behave more naturally than in laboratory - higher realism.
- Easier to generalise from results.
- People often do not know they are
being studied
Examples of Field experiments
Canvassing experiments Civic course experiments Vote Compass experiments Evaluating Programs/Policies
Field Experiments-Weaknesses
- Often only weak control of
competing variables - Difficult to replicate.
- Can be time-consuming and costly.
- Often involves some deception.
- Does not use consent
Types of Case studies
-Descriptive
-Disciplined configurative
-Theory generating
-Theory Testing
casus meaning
occurrence but implies a problem
Difference with poli sci case theory and other disciplines
in poli sci case study should engage in theory
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS?
The systematic examination of the messages and meaning conveyed in text
WHY ANALYZE TEXTS?
Because of what they reveal about ideas, goals, motivations, and activities of politicians, political organization, and institutions
Particularly important for the analysis of political speech
WHAT CAN TEXTUAL AN ANALYSIS REVEAL?
- Structural features(i.e.how the medium shapes the message)
- Substantive features(how words, themes, ideas, symbols, frames, and other rhetorical devices convey particular meanings)
- Manifest content (explicit meaning)
- Latent content (implicit meaning)
LIMITS TO QUANTITATIVE APPROACHES
- Can leave “why” or “how” question unanswered
QUALITATIVE APPROACHES TO
DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
Inductive/interpretive
* Often starts from an observation rather than a theory
LIMITS OF DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
IN-GROUP VS. OUT-GROUP DISCOURSE
Document analysis
a process in which researchers collect and review existing written documents related to the topic and incorporates the info into the analysis.
Discourse analysis
the study of how texts are used within their societal context and what they can reveal about the larger society
Positives of Textual analysis
-Higher external validity since it is naturally occuring
-Non-reactive
3 aspects that need to be specified for choosing a population textual evidence
-Unit of analysis
-Time frame
-Geography
Is it important to be skeptic when performing textual analysis
YES
Manifest Content
The explicit message being communicated by the text
Latent Content
The underlying message beinng communicated
How do researchers address the issue of not being able to access sources
They perform field research
Content Analysis
the descriptive and objective analysis of texts
When performing exploratory content analysis will researchers typically use an Inductive or Deductive approach?
Inductive
What criteria of causality is difficulty to demonstrate in textual analysis
Non-confounding Variables
What is an important thing to do prior to conducting qualitative research such as interviews
Background Research: helps make the subjects more comfortable and can allow for a smoother data collection process
True or False: Qualitative research seeks to generalize its results
False
What are some threats to information accuracy during interviews
-People lie to themselves
-Lie to the interviewer
-Mistaken recollection
what is the immediate step after data collection in an interview
Producing a transcript
What is the most common observation approach
Participant Observation
Structured vs Unstructured observasion
quantitative vs Qualitative
Observation schedule
Checklist for recording behaviour in ethnography
single blind experiment
subjects are unaware what group they are part of
double blind design
both subject and researcher do not know which subject is in what group
within subject design
pre and post test are performed
between subject design
subjects are randomly assigned to treatment/control group causality is observed by differences after post test
stimulus
the treatment intervention in experiments
factors
the parameters manipulated by the experiment
factorial design
experiment where researcher manipulates two or more factors simultaneously
levels
different possible settings for a factor
threats to internal validity in an experiment
-Uncontrolled aspects in the environment
-Biased measurement tools
-Violations to the randomization procedure
split ballot design
compared responses to only two
CATI
Computer assisted telephone interview
- helps for surveys
what is a quasi experiment
Heteroskedacity
?
Homoskedacity
?
