Nonexperimental designs, including natural experiments and structural equation modeling, can inform cause-effect relationships to a degree that depends on study design and analysis¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · theoretical r2 · q1
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q1 i? Observational studies that exploit natural experiments are particularly suitable for investigating cause-effect relationships. → Grosz 2023 q1 i? Even observational studies without natural experiments can investigate cause-effect relationships under assumptions, e.g., by comparing observed covariances to those implied by a structural equation model. → Grosz 2023

Evidence¶

Grosz 2023¶

Grosz, M. P. (2023). Should researchers make causal inferences and recommendations for practice on the basis of nonexperimental studies? Educational Psychology Review, 35, 57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09777-7

q1 · i? · theoretical · r2

Theoretical argument in a commentary: the author states that "Observa- tional studies that exploit natural experiments are particularly suitable for inves- tigating cause and effect relationships", citing regression discontinuity designs such as class-size effects. No empirical data are reported.

"Observa- tional studies that exploit natural experiments are particularly suitable for inves- tigating cause and effect relationships (e.g., Dunning, 2012; Grosz et al., 2023)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Descriptive and predictive findings can inform recommendations for practice by identifying targets for intervention, even without causal information — related
• Causal inference always goes beyond the data, even in randomized experiments, because experimental manipulations may affect other variables that caused the effect — related