Questioning Causality: Scientific Explorations of Cause and Consequence across Social Contexts
Covering a topic applicable to fields ranging from education to health care to psychology, this book provides a broad critical analysis of the assumptions that researchers and practitioners have about causation and explains how readers can improve their thinking about causation.

In virtually every laboratory, research center, or classroom focused on the social or physical sciences today, the concept of causation is a core issue to be questioned, tested, and determined. Even debates in unrelated areas such as biology, law, and philosophy often focus on causality—"What made that happen?" In this book, experts from across disciplines adopt a reader-friendly approach to reconsider this age-old question in a modern light, defining different kinds of causation and examining how causes and consequences are framed and approached in a particular field. Each chapter uses applied examples to illustrate key points in an accessible manner.

The contributors to this work supply a coherent critical analysis of the assumptions researchers and practitioners hold about causation, and explain how such thinking about causation can be improved. Collectively, the coverage is broad, providing readers with a fuller picture of research in social contexts. Beyond providing insightful description and thought-provoking questioning of causation in different research areas, the book applies analysis of data in order to point the way to smarter, more efficient practices. Consequently, both practitioners and researchers will benefit from this book.

1132775410
Questioning Causality: Scientific Explorations of Cause and Consequence across Social Contexts
Covering a topic applicable to fields ranging from education to health care to psychology, this book provides a broad critical analysis of the assumptions that researchers and practitioners have about causation and explains how readers can improve their thinking about causation.

In virtually every laboratory, research center, or classroom focused on the social or physical sciences today, the concept of causation is a core issue to be questioned, tested, and determined. Even debates in unrelated areas such as biology, law, and philosophy often focus on causality—"What made that happen?" In this book, experts from across disciplines adopt a reader-friendly approach to reconsider this age-old question in a modern light, defining different kinds of causation and examining how causes and consequences are framed and approached in a particular field. Each chapter uses applied examples to illustrate key points in an accessible manner.

The contributors to this work supply a coherent critical analysis of the assumptions researchers and practitioners hold about causation, and explain how such thinking about causation can be improved. Collectively, the coverage is broad, providing readers with a fuller picture of research in social contexts. Beyond providing insightful description and thought-provoking questioning of causation in different research areas, the book applies analysis of data in order to point the way to smarter, more efficient practices. Consequently, both practitioners and researchers will benefit from this book.

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Questioning Causality: Scientific Explorations of Cause and Consequence across Social Contexts

Questioning Causality: Scientific Explorations of Cause and Consequence across Social Contexts

Questioning Causality: Scientific Explorations of Cause and Consequence across Social Contexts

Questioning Causality: Scientific Explorations of Cause and Consequence across Social Contexts

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Overview

Covering a topic applicable to fields ranging from education to health care to psychology, this book provides a broad critical analysis of the assumptions that researchers and practitioners have about causation and explains how readers can improve their thinking about causation.

In virtually every laboratory, research center, or classroom focused on the social or physical sciences today, the concept of causation is a core issue to be questioned, tested, and determined. Even debates in unrelated areas such as biology, law, and philosophy often focus on causality—"What made that happen?" In this book, experts from across disciplines adopt a reader-friendly approach to reconsider this age-old question in a modern light, defining different kinds of causation and examining how causes and consequences are framed and approached in a particular field. Each chapter uses applied examples to illustrate key points in an accessible manner.

The contributors to this work supply a coherent critical analysis of the assumptions researchers and practitioners hold about causation, and explain how such thinking about causation can be improved. Collectively, the coverage is broad, providing readers with a fuller picture of research in social contexts. Beyond providing insightful description and thought-provoking questioning of causation in different research areas, the book applies analysis of data in order to point the way to smarter, more efficient practices. Consequently, both practitioners and researchers will benefit from this book.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781440831782
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date: 01/25/2016
Pages: 440
Product dimensions: 6.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Rom Harré is Emeritus Fellow of Linacre College, Oxford University; and is distinguished research professor at Georgetown University.

Fathali M. Moghaddam is professor of psychology at Georgetown University and editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed academic jourbanal, Peace and Conflict: Jourbanal of Peace Psychology.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction Rom Harré Fathali M. Moghaddam xi

Part 1 The Concepts of Causation as Developed By Philosophers

1 The Discourse Frame Rom Harré 3

2 The Temporal Frame Rom Harré 21

3 The Explanation Frame Rom Harré 33

Part 2 Causal Concepts and Research Methods

4 Causation in Introductory Psychology Texts Raven Dunstan Fathali M. Moghaddam 53

Editors' Commentary 64

5 Rerum, Cognoscere Causas: Dependent and Independent Variables in Psychology Adrian Furnham 67

Editors' Commentary 81

6 On the Concept of "Effects" in Contemporary Psychological Experimentation: A Case Study in the Need for Conceptual Clarity and Discursive Precision James T. Lamiell 83

Editors' Commentary 101

7 Legislating Causal Logic: Scientifically Based Educational Research in the United States Naomi Lee Alissa Blair 103

Editors' Commentary 117

Part 3 Causal Concepts and Linguistic Topics

8 Triggers and Their Consequences for Language Acquisition David W. Lightfoot 121

Editors' Commentary 136

9 Causes of Language Death Peter Mühlhäusler 139

Editors' Commentary 153

10 A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words: On Causes, Reasons, and Images Jens Brockmeier 157

Part 4 Causal Concepts and Medical Contexts

11 The Notion of Cause in Biomedicine John Grimley Evans 169

Editors' Commentary 183

12 Causes and Consequences: Pain Research and the Placebo Effect John C. Lefebvre James T. Bednar 185

Editors' Commentary 204

13 Questioning Causation in Mental Health Paul Steinberg 205

Editors' Commentary 218

14 Understanding the Person with Alzheimer's Disease from a Causes-and-Consequences Perspective Kate de Medeiros Steven R. Sabat 221

Editors' Commentary 234

Part 5 Causal Concepts and Collective Behavior

15 Causality and Protracted Violent Conflicts: The Case of Internally Displaced Persons Daniel Rothbart Sudha G. Rajput 239

Editors' Commentary 256

16 This Causes Conflict! On the Risks of Establishing Causalities through Conflict Analysis and the Consequences of Implementing Those Logics in Conflict Resolution Strategies Tobias Greiff Jacquie L. Greiff 259

Editors' Commentary 273

17 Causality in the Study of Collective Action and Political Behavior Winnifred R. Louis Stephen T. La Macchia Catherine E. Amiot Emma F. Thomas Leda M. Blackwood Kenneth I. Mavor Alexander K. Saeri 277

Editors' Commentary 303

18 Assumed Causes of Collective Excellence Kelly Comolli Fathali M. Moghaddam 305

Editors' Commentary 311

Part 6 Causal Concepts and Legal Proceedings

19 Cause and Consequence in the Law William C. Bryson 315

Editors' Commentary 340

20 No Bad Deed Goes Unrewarded: Cause, Consequence, and Deviance in Emerging Technological Regimes Rodrigo Nieto-Gómez 343

Editors' Commentary 361

Part 7 Causal Concepts and Theological and Poetry Studies

21 Theological Studies Margaret M. Yee 365

Editors' Commentary 380

22 Causality and the Poetry of Witness Duncan Wu 383

Editors' Commentary 387

Epilogue Rom Harré Fathali M. Moghaddam 391

Name Index 397

Subject Index 407

About the Editors and Contributors 417

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