flashcards lect4 process tracing and causal mechanisms

Question 1

what is process tracing + 3 components

Answer 1

= method for tracing causal mechanisms using detailed within-case empricial analysis

1. what we trace = causal mechanisms: the process between cause and outcome
2. what does it mean to trace = we observe “empirical fingerprints”/traces left by operation of a thoerized causal mechanism
3. generalization = think comparatively
   *might not be an objective, e.g. when you have idiosyncratic focus

Question 2

causal mechanism definition

Answer 2

= process between cause and effect

cause triggers something (mechanism) that leads to an outcome of interest

!not the same as sheer sequence of events (it is productive, not just descriptive)
!not the same as intervening variables (bc then you still don’t have how they are related)

Question 3

two versions of causal mechanisms

Answer 3

= depending on practical considerations (e.g. state of research)

1. minimalist version = diagnostic evidence, don’t go into much detail about the process
   - superficial: one-liner’ description of proces
   - incomplete: identify parts/entities, but not the logics that link them (cause -> entity -> entity -> outcome)
2. maximalist version = less abstract, details about the process
   -> ENTITIES THAT ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES
   *holistic: individual parts don’t have independent causal power

Question 4

traces

Answer 4

= detective work: observational manifestations of the process’s parts

ask what it would look like if the mechanism was correct and wrong?

Question 5

generalizing

Answer 5

= bring other cases to test if the mechanism works in similar cases as a probe of a more general phenomenon

= wonder about in what context/conditions the mechanism would work = the bounded population of cases to which the mechanism may apply

Question 6

heterogeneity/equifinality vs mechanisms heterogeneity

Answer 6

equifinality (causes heterogeneity) = different causes may lead to the same outcome

mechanisms heterogeneity = same cause may be linked to outcome through different mechanisms

Question 7

benefits/payoff process tracing

Answer 7

• logic can more easily be scrutinized
• falsifiability (specify observations that would falsify the mechanism)
• sheds light on contextual conditions

-> PT has narrow scope, but still valuable as contextualized knowledge piles up

Question 8

4 variants of process tracing - diverse objectives

Answer 8

1. theory-building process-tracing
   - what is the mechanism linking X and Y
2. theory-testing process-tracing
   - is the mechanism present, does it work as theorized?
3. theoretical-revision process-tracing
   - why did the mechanism break down in the case?
4. explaining-outcome process-tracing
   - case focused