Interventionism and Over-Time Causal Analysis in Social Sciences. Issue 1 (January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wu, Tung-Ying
• Other Names: Gotoh Reiko guest-editor.; Yoshida Kei guest-editor.; Cheung Chor-yung guest-editor.; Iorio Francesco Di guest-editor.; Dumouchel Paul guest-editor.; Tamthai Mark guest-editor.; Bouvier Alban guest-editor.; Kaldis Byron guest-editor.; Montuschi Eleonora guest-editor.; Zahle Julie guest-editor.; Zamora-Bonilla Jes´us guest-editor.; Henderson David guest-editor.; Khalifa Kareem guest-editor.; Risjord Mark guest-editor.; Roth Paul guest-editor.; Tollefsen Deborah guest-editor.; Turner Stephen guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Philosophy of the social sciences. Volume 52:Issue 1/2(2022)
• Page Start: 3
• Page End: 24
• Publication Date: 2022-01
• Subjects: Methodology -- interventionism -- causation -- regression discontinuity -- difference-in-differences; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Sciences sociales -- Périodiques; Sciences sociales -- Méthodologie -- Périodiques; 300.1
• DOI: 10.1177/00483931211049766
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0048-3931

Abstract

The interventionist theory of causation has been advertised as an empirically informed and more nuanced approach to causality than the competing theories. However, previous literature has not yet analyzed the regression discontinuity (hereafter, RD) and the difference-in-differences (hereafter, DD) within an interventionist framework. In this paper, I point out several drawbacks of using the interventionist methodology for justifying the DD and RD designs. Nevertheless, I argue that the first step toward enhancing our understanding of the DD and RD designs from an interventionist perspective is to take advantage of the assumptions of common trend and continuity.