ERIC Number: EJ1358791
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Nov
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0049-1241
EISSN: EISSN-1552-8294
Available Date: N/A
The Probability of a Robust Inference for Internal Validity
Li, Tenglong; Frank, Ken
Sociological Methods & Research, v51 n4 p1947-1968 Nov 2022
The internal validity of observational study is often subject to debate. In this study, we define the counterfactuals as the unobserved sample and intend to quantify its relationship with the null hypothesis statistical testing (NHST). We propose the probability of a robust inference for internal validity, that is, the PIV, as a robustness index of causal inference. Formally, the PIV is the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis again based on both the observed sample and the counterfactuals, provided the same null hypothesis has already been rejected based on the observed sample. Under either frequentist or Bayesian framework, one can bound the PIV of an inference based on his bounded belief about the counterfactuals, which is often needed when the unconfoundedness assumption is dubious. The PIV is equivalent to statistical power when the NHST is thought to be based on both the observed sample and the counterfactuals. We summarize the process of evaluating internal validity with the PIV into a six-step procedure and illustrate it with an empirical example.
Descriptors: Probability, Inferences, Validity, Correlation, Attribution Theory, Bayesian Statistics, Observation, Comparative Analysis, Kindergarten, Hypothesis Testing, Grade Repetition, Reading Achievement
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
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