Draft:Causal thinking
 | This article, Draft:Causal thinking, has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
Reviewer tools: Preload talk Inform author |
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Causal thinking is a preliminary step of causal inference. Causal thinking emphasizes a mindset that acknowledges asymmetric causal relationships. It involves categorizing variables not merely as associated with each other but specifically as causes and effects. Causal thinking is distinct from correlational thinking, which is common in statistical analysis. For example, from a causal perspective, the independent variable in linear regression is considered the 'cause,' while the dependent variable is considered the 'effect.' In contrast, from a correlational perspective, the two variables are associated with each other and are thus interchangeable.