Questions you can answer
Looking at Marina and Tom's causal pathways "Questions" (for the CP training - below) - they never really talk about the fundamental property and challenge of a causal map which is transitivity or tracing. From a–>b and b –> c concluding, (maybe, but when and how?), a –> c. They just never address the question. But if you werent interested in this fundamental property & challenge, why would you use a map or talk about a pathway??
Causal questions that fit within this overarching question may focus on exploring causal pathways or on assessing impact. Apgar and Aston categorize them as follows and provide the following examples:
Causal Process Questions: â—Ź What specific processes led to the observed outcomes? â—Ź How did the intervention trigger change? â—Ź What intermediate mechanisms connect the intervention to outcomes?
Causal Context Questions: â—Ź How do different contexts modify the causal mechanism? â—Ź What contextual conditions enable or inhibit causal effects? â—Ź How do local factors interact with intervention strategies?
Emergent Causality Questions: â—Ź How do unintended consequences emerge? â—Ź What unexpected causal pathways developed? â—Ź How do multiple factors interact to produce outcomes?
Comparative Causal Questions: â—Ź Which intervention strategy was most effective in creating change? â—Ź How do different approaches compare in terms of causal impact? â—Ź What are the differential effects of alternative interventions?
Equity Focused Questions: â—Ź How did causal effects differ across social groups? â—Ź What variations in impact existed? â—Ź Did the intervention affect different populations differently?
Systemic Causality Questions: â—Ź How did the intervention contribute to systemic changes? â—Ź What broader transformations were triggered? â—Ź How do multiple levels of the system interact causally?
Impact Contribution and Inquiry Questions: â—Ź To what extent did the intervention cause the observed changes? â—Ź What difference did the program make compared to doing nothing? â—Ź How much of the observed outcome can be directly attributed to the intervention?
