Thinking Fast and Slow About Causality: Response to Palinkas. (September 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Marsh, Jeanne C.
• Is Part Of: Research on social work practice. Volume 24:Number 5(2014:Sep.)
• Page Start: 548
• Page End: 551
• Publication Date: 2014-09
• Subjects: Social work science -- research methods -- heuristics and biases -- judgment and decision-making; Social service -- Periodicals; 361.3205
• DOI: 10.1177/1049731513513642
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1049-7315

Abstract

Larry Palinkas advances the developing science of social work by providing an explanation of how social science research methods, both qualitative and quantitative, can improve our capacity to draw casual inferences. Understanding causal relations and making causal inferences -- with the promise of being able to predict and control outcomes -- is fundamental to the scientific enterprise. This response builds on Palinkas paper with two points: (1) The search for causality is inevitable, i.e., hard-wired into research decision-making process. (2) Thinking slowly about research methods, i.e., avoiding the influence of heuristics that may influence decision-making in predictable ways, will reduce bias and improve causal inferences.