“Pearl (2018). Confounding and deconfounding: Or, slaying the lurking variable.” - Article summary

Confounding bias occurs when a variable influences both who is selected for the treatment and the outcome of the experiment. If a possible confounding variable is known, it is possible to control for the possible confounding variable. Researchers tend to control for all possible variables, which leaves the possibility of controlling for the thing you are trying to measure (e.g. controlling for mediators).

Confounding needs a causal solution, not a statistical one and causal diagrams provide a complete and systematic way of finding that solution. If all the confounders are controlled for, a causal claim can be made. However, it is not always sure whether all confounders are controlled for.

Randomization has two clear benefits. It eliminates confounder bias and it enables the researcher to quantify his uncertainty. Randomization eliminates confounders without introducing new confounders. In a non-randomized study, confounders must be eliminated by controlling for them, although it is not always possible to know all the possible confounders.

It is not always possible to conduct a randomized controlled experiment because of ethical, practical or other constraints. Causal estimates of observational studies can provide with provisional causality. This is causality contingent upon the set of assumptions that the causal diagram advertises.

Confounding stands for the discrepancy between what we want to assess (the causal effect) and what we actually do assess using statistical methods. A mediator is the variable that explains the causal effect of X on Y (X>Z>Y). If you control for a mediator, you will conclude that there is no causal link, when there is.

There are several rules for controlling for possible confounders:

  1. In a chain junction (A -> B -> C), controlling for B prevents information from A getting to C and vice versa.
  2. In a fork or confounding junction (A <- B -> C), controlling for B prevents information from A getting to C and vice versa.
  3. In a collider (A -> B <- C), controlling for B will allow information from A getting to C and vice versa.
  4. Controlling for a mediator partially closes the stream of information. Controlling for a descendant of a collider partially opens the stream of information.

A variable that is associated with both X and Y is not necessarily a confounder.

Image

Access: 
Public

Image

Join WorldSupporter!
This content is used in:

Scientific & Statistical Reasoning – Summary interim exam 3 (UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM)

Scientific & Statistical Reasoning – Article summary (UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM)

Search a summary

Image

 

 

Contributions: posts

Help other WorldSupporters with additions, improvements and tips

Add new contribution

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

Image

Spotlight: topics

Check the related and most recent topics and summaries:
Institutions, jobs and organizations:
Activities abroad, study fields and working areas:
This content is also used in .....

Image

Check how to use summaries on WorldSupporter.org

Online access to all summaries, study notes en practice exams

How and why use WorldSupporter.org for your summaries and study assistance?

  • For free use of many of the summaries and study aids provided or collected by your fellow students.
  • For free use of many of the lecture and study group notes, exam questions and practice questions.
  • For use of all exclusive summaries and study assistance for those who are member with JoHo WorldSupporter with online access
  • For compiling your own materials and contributions with relevant study help
  • For sharing and finding relevant and interesting summaries, documents, notes, blogs, tips, videos, discussions, activities, recipes, side jobs and more.

Using and finding summaries, notes and practice exams on JoHo WorldSupporter

There are several ways to navigate the large amount of summaries, study notes en practice exams on JoHo WorldSupporter.

  1. Use the summaries home pages for your study or field of study
  2. Use the check and search pages for summaries and study aids by field of study, subject or faculty
  3. Use and follow your (study) organization
    • by using your own student organization as a starting point, and continuing to follow it, easily discover which study materials are relevant to you
    • this option is only available through partner organizations
  4. Check or follow authors or other WorldSupporters
  5. Use the menu above each page to go to the main theme pages for summaries
    • Theme pages can be found for international studies as well as Dutch studies

Do you want to share your summaries with JoHo WorldSupporter and its visitors?

Quicklinks to fields of study for summaries and study assistance

Main summaries home pages:

Main study fields:

Main study fields NL:

Follow the author: JesperN
Work for WorldSupporter

Image

JoHo can really use your help!  Check out the various student jobs here that match your studies, improve your competencies, strengthen your CV and contribute to a more tolerant world

Working for JoHo as a student in Leyden

Parttime werken voor JoHo

Statistics
2375