An Introduction to Causal Inference

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" An Introduction to Causal Inference "
Pearl, Judea

Document Type	:	AL
Record Number	:	920551
Doc. No	:	LA9qf971fw
Title & Author	:	An Introduction to Causal Inference [Article]\ Pearl, Judea
Date	:	2009
Title of Periodical	:	UCLA
Abstract	:	This paper summarizes recent advances in causal inference and underscores the paradigmatic shifts that must be undertaken in moving from traditional statistical analysis to causal analysis of multivariate data. Special emphasis is placed on the assumptions that underly all causal inferences, the languages used in formulating those assumptions, the conditional nature of all causal and counterfactual claims, and the methods that have been developed for the assessment of such claims. These advances are illustrated using a general theory of causation based on the Structural Causal Model (SCM) described in Pearl (2000a), which subsumes and uniﬁes other approaches to causation, and provides a coherent mathematical foundation for the analysis of causes and counterfactuals. In particular, the paper surveys the development of mathematical tools for inferring (from a combination of data and assumptions) answers to three types of causal queries: (1) queries about the eﬀects of potential interventions, (also called “causal eﬀects” or “policy evaluation”) (2) queries about probabilities of counterfactuals, (including assessment of “regret,” “attribution” or “causes of eﬀects”) and (3) queries about direct and indirect eﬀects (also known as “mediation”). Finally, the paper deﬁnes the formal and conceptual relationships between the structural and potential-outcome frameworks and presents tools for a symbiotic analysis that uses the strong features of both.