Chapter 2 (2-2.4) Flashcards
True or false: “causal effects” and “causal inference” isn’t the same thing.
False
What does a causal relationship refer to?
The cause-and-effect connection between the treatment variable X and the outcome variable Y.
Account for the treatment variable X.
It’s a variable whose change may produce a change in the outcome variable.
Account for the outcome variable Y.
It’s a variable that may change as a result of a change in the treatment variable.
True or false: treatment variables are a type of dependent variable.
False
True or false: outcome variables are a type of independent variable.
False
How is the causal relationship between X and Y presented?
As “X→Y” or “Y→X”.
What does the interpretation of the results of datasets depend on?
The type of outcome variable used in the analysis.
What’s an unobserved characteristic?
A characteristic that hasn’t been measured.
What are the three types of obstacles that prevent people from conducting an experiment?
- ethical
- logistical
- financial
What’s experimental data?
Data collected from a randomized experiment.
What’s observational data?
Data collected from naturally occurring events.
What type of study uses observational data?
Observational studies.
What does the term “factual outcome” mean?
Observing what really happened.
What does the term “counterfactual outcome” mean?
Observing what would’ve happened if you had made different decisions.
What’s the fundamental problem of causal inference?
You can never observe the counterfactual outcome.
What’s a randomized experiment?
A type of study design in which treatment assignment is randomized.
True or false: when a treatment assignment is randomized, the only factor that distinguishes the treatment group from the control group is chance.
True
True or false: only when the treatment group and the control group are comparable does the “difference-in-means” function produce a valid estimate of the average treatment effect.
True
