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Taxonomy of causality theories: sequential, simultaneous, and reciprocal

Research Method · All research methods
Evidence · 1 claim (1 mixed) · 1 study (1 associational), q1 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description

The article organizes philosophical, theological, and scientific perspectives on causation into three families relevant to interpreting cross-lagged panel models. "Sequential theories of causation posit that causes and effects are temporally distinct, with causes preceding effects" — the traditional Western view from Aristotle onward and the default in psychological research. Simultaneous theories (from Nagarjuna and Dogen to Descartes, Kant, and Cramer's transactional interpretation) allow cause and effect to co-occur. "Reciprocal causation occurs when two or more variables mutually influence each other, forming a causal loop", combining bidirectionality with temporal ordering. The article uses this taxonomy to motivate testing lag0 alongside lag1 and lag2 paths.

Accounts

  • Taxonomy of causality theories: sequential, simultaneous, and reciprocal: The article organizes philosophical, theological, and scientific perspectives on causation into three families relevant to interpreting cross-lagged panel models. "Sequential theories of causation posit that causes and effects are temporally distinct, with causes preceding effects" — the traditional Western view from Aristotle onward and the default in psychological research. Simultaneous theories (from Nagarjuna and Dogen to Descartes, Kant, and Cramer's transactional interpretation) allow cause and effect to co-occur. "Reciprocal causation occurs when two or more variables mutually influence each other, forming a causal loop", combining bidirectionality with temporal ordering. The article uses this taxonomy to motivate testing lag0 alongside lag1 and lag2 paths. (Marsh et al. (2024))

Claims

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Key Sources

  • Marsh, H. W., Guo, J., Pekrun, R., Lüdtke, O., & Núñez-Regueiro, F. (2024). Cracking Chicken-Egg Conundrums: Juxtaposing Contemporaneous and Lagged Reciprocal Effects Models of Academic Self-Concept and Achievement's Directional Ordering. Educational Psychology Review, 36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09887-w
Page metadata
Field Value
type research-method
id taxonomy-of-causality-theories-sequential-simultaneous-and-reciprocal
title Taxonomy of causality theories: sequential, simultaneous, and reciprocal
description The article organizes philosophical, theological, and scientific perspectives on causation into three families relevant to interpreting cross-lagged panel models.
status review
generated by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-21
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