Causal Theory and Causal Research: An Historical Perspective - Tapa dura

"This book provides an invaluable road map on how to harness this human thought process into a powerful method for studying cause-effect relationships. The reader will find in it an up-to-date and comprehensive theoretical view of causality and its study, and will likely find in it a motive to continue his or her study of causal theory and the modern process of causal research." (Dr. Sharon O'Connor-Petruso, Brooklyn College, City University of New York) "The author's approach represents a significant contribution to scholarship in that it makes it easy for the generalist reader to understand the rationale for the modern approach to the study of causation and change - while requiring no previous knowledge of the subject on the part of the reader." (Dr. Leonard R. Mendola, Touro College)

This reader friendly discussion of causality is a comprehensive analysis of the five conditions necessary for a causal effect to exist. Historical precursors of the standpoint are reviewed, and structural equations modeling (SEM) is used with large-scale data to illustrate the process associated with the test for these conditions. This book deals with the topic of causality. It traces the evolution of causal thinking from antiquity to the present and culminates with a description of five key conditions that must be satisfied to demonstrate a causal effect and with a description of the use of structural equation modeling to examine the roles played by dependent, independent, confounding, qualifying, and intervening variables in the test for these conditions.