Models in Statistical Social Research

The book provides a better understanding of models used in statistical social research.While traditionally understood statistical models relate to data generating processes, this book focuses on analytical models which relate to substantial processes generating social facts. These models are used as a framework for the definition of comparative and dynamic notions of causality.

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Models in Statistical Social Research provides a comprehensive insight of models used in statistical social research based on statistical data and methods. While traditionally understood statistical models relate to data generating processes which presuppose facts, this book focuses on analytical models which relate to substantial processes generating social facts. It formally develops individual-level, population-level, and multilevel versions of such models and uses these models as frameworks for the definition of notions of functional causality.

The book further develops a distinction between the representation of states and events, which is then used to formally distinguish between comparative and dynamic notions of causality. It is shown that, due to the involvement of human actors in substantial processes considered in social research, the conceptual framework of randomized experiments is of only limited use. Instead, modelling selection processes should become an explicit task of social research.