Experimental Identification of Causal Mechanisms*

42 Pages Posted: 13 Aug 2009 Last revised: 3 Sep 2009

See all articles by Kosuke Imai

Kosuke Imai

Princeton University - Department of Political Science

Dustin H. Tingley

Harvard University - Department of Government

Teppei Yamamoto

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Department of Political Science

Date Written: 2009

Abstract

Experimentation is a powerful methodology that enables scientists to empirically establish causal claims. Even in social sciences where traditionally observational studies were dominant, experiments are becoming increasingly common. However, one general criticism of experimental methodology is that experiments merely provide a black-box view of causality - although experiments can identify an average causal effect, they cannot explain how such an effect comes about. If true, this represents a serious limitation of experimentation, especially for social science research whose main goal is to identify causal mechanisms. In this paper, we first establish that two existing approaches commonly employed by social scientists to address this critique suffer from serious methodological problems. To overcome this limitation, we consider alternative experimental designs that can be used to help identify causal mechanisms. Finally, we discuss the situations in which these experimental designs are applicable and illustrate their use by applying them to a behavioral neuroscience experiment.

Suggested Citation

Imai, Kosuke and Tingley, Dustin H. and Yamamoto, Teppei, Experimental Identification of Causal Mechanisms* (2009). APSA 2009 Toronto Meeting Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1449152

Kosuke Imai (Contact Author)

Princeton University - Department of Political Science ( email )

Corwin Hall
Princeton, NJ 08544-1012
United States

Dustin H. Tingley

Harvard University - Department of Government ( email )

1737 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Teppei Yamamoto

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Department of Political Science ( email )

77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
United States

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