Direct and Indirect Causal Effects via Potential Outcomes*

Abstract. The use of the concept of ‘direct’ versus ‘indirect’ causal effects is common, not only in statistics but also in many areas of social and economic sciences. The related terms of ‘biomarkers’ and ‘surrogates’ are common in pharmacological and biomedical sciences. Sometimes this concept is represented by graphical displays of various kinds. The view here is that there is a great deal of imprecise discussion surrounding this topic and, moreover, that the most straightforward way to clarify the situation is by using potential outcomes to define causal effects. In particular, I suggest that the use of principal stratification is key to understanding the meaning of direct and indirect causal effects. A current study of anthrax vaccine will be used to illustrate ideas.     

Conditions for Non-confounding and Collapsibility without Knowledge of Completely Constructed Causal Diagrams

In this paper, we discuss several concepts in causal inference in terms of causal diagrams proposed by Pearl (1993 , 1995a , b ), and we give conditions for non-confounding, homogeneity and collapsibility for causal effects without knowledge of a completely constructed causal diagram. We first introduce the concepts of non-confounding, conditional non-confounding, uniform non-confounding, homogeneity, collapsibility and strong collapsibility for causal effects, then we present necessary and sufficient conditions for uniform non-confounding, homegeneity and collapsibilities, and finally we show sufficient conditions for non-confounding, conditional non-confounding and uniform non-confounding.     

论经济及企业活动中的单向因果循环

文章首先检视人类经济及企业活动圈内外的各种循环 ,说明循环的普遍性 ,然后从单向因果循环的五行逻辑推演 ,陈述五行在经济及企业小严谨循环上的成功应用     

试论司马迁崇高人格的成因

司马迁崇高人格的形成 ,是由于他史家家风的积淀和时代进取精神召唤的结果。同时 ,司马迁又受到先秦优秀文化的滋润 ,形成其刚正不阿的人格特征 ,他个人奇特的经历又使他人格中溶入了“好奇”的特质。     

Evaluating the causal economic impacts of transport investments: evidence from the Madrid–Barcelona high speed rail corridor

This paper evaluates economic impacts arising from the introduction of high-speed rail (HSR) between Madrid and Barcelona. Using difference-in-differences estimation we estimate an average treatment effect for provinces with stops on the HSR line of 2.4% for economic output, 3.3% for numbers of firms, and 1.1% for labour productivity. We complement our DID results with a synthetic control analysis for Lleida and Tarragona, two provinces that we argue were assigned HSR stations largely due to their incidental location. We find that both the number of firms and labour productivity are substantially higher in these provinces than in their synthetic counterparts.     

学前儿童基于重量和声音进行因果推理的发展研究

儿童的推理能力历来都是考察儿童认知发展的重点。本研究探讨了在多种属性刺激下3~5岁儿童基于重量和声音进行 因果推理的表现。结果发现：4岁和5岁儿童选择正确目标物的准确率显著高于3岁儿童；和同时使用声音与重量判断目标物相 比，儿童在单独使用重量或声音的情况下更容易区分目标物。总之，儿童因果推理能力发展的关键期在4岁并且当任务难度较高 的情况下其因果机制极易受到干扰。     

Atribución y estigmas sociales: anorexia nerviosa y abuso sexual infantil

Resumen

El objetivo de la presente comunicación es examinar la controlabilidadpercibida de un moderno estigma social: La anorexia nerviosa. Se estudiaron 8 estigmas, cuatro de origen físico y cuatro de origen mental-comportamental, entre los que se hallaba la anorexia nervosa. En un primer estudio se encontró que los estigmas de origen físico se percibían como más controlables, elicitando afectos más positivos así como una mayor intención comportamental de ayuda. En un segundo estudio, se empleó una manipulación de la información sobre la controlabilidad del estigma para analizar su rol en la percepción de los mismos. Los resultados muestran las diferencias en la percepción de la controlabilidad, el afecto y el comportamiento hacia los estigmas sociales de acuerdo con la condición en la información sobre controlabilidad.     

中国是否拥有原油的国际定价权？——基于油价间独立性与传导性视角

在目前国际原油以期货市场定价的格局下,如何判别中国原油期货价格是否已经拥有了国际定价权是一个亟待解决的理论和现实问题。本文基于多变量单方向因果测度统计分析方法,聚焦原油期货市场定价的独立性与传导性,以上海国际能源交易中心的原油期货价格（INE）为例进行实证分析。研究发现：第一,INE在短、中期内未受到WTI、Brent等原油期货价格的因果影响,具有价格发现功能,但是尚不具备长期独立性;第二,在本文的样本区间与美元兑人民币汇率条件下,上海原油期货采用人民币计价可以增强其对WTI、Brent的影响力,同时减弱二者的影响力,彰显出人民币计价的双重定价优势;第三,WTI和Brent油价作为基准油价指标,INE作为非基准油价指标满足本文所创建的国际基准油价之间应长期相互独立、基准油价对非基准油价应具有传导性的研判标准,反映了该标准的科学性。     

Education,cognitive ability,and cause-specific mortality: A structural approach

Education is negatively associated with most major causes of death. Prior work ignores the premise that cause-specific hazards are interdependent and that both education and mortality depend on cognitive ability. We analyse Swedish men aged 18–63, focusing on months lost due to specific causes—which solves the interdependence problem—and use a structural model that accounts for confounding due to cognitive ability. In a standard Cox model controlling for Intelligence Quotient, improving education is associated with large decreases in mortality for major causes of death. In the structural model, improving education is associated with a small decrease in months lost for most causes and education levels. Among the least educated, however, improving education strongly reduces the months lost, mainly those lost from external causes, such as accidents and suicide. Results suggest that conventional analysis of education and mortality may be biased, even if accounting for observed cognition.