[ home | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z || help | about ]

CAUSALITY
A relationship between two variables such that one (the independent variable) can be claimed to have caused the other (the dependent variable). In order to establish causality three conditions must be met: a. there must be a correlation or association between variables; b. the independent variable (the cause) must occur before the dependent variable (the effect); c. the relationship must not be spurious. See: SPURIOUSNESS / VARIABLES / .

Last updated 2002--0-9-

[ home | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z || help | about ]

Athabaca University ICAAP

© Robert Drislane, Ph.D. and Gary Parkinson, Ph.D.
The online version of this dictionary is a product of
Athabasca University and
ICAAP

*This social science dictionary has 1000
entries covering the disciplines of sociology, criminology, political
science and women's study with a commitment to Canadian examples and
events and names