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causal path

1. see causal chain.

2. in path analysis and similar statistical procedures, a relatively probable causal sequence among a complex set of potential causes and effects. The analysis is based on first-order and partial correlations among variables indicating possible relations of cause and effect. From the pattern of correlations, conclusions are drawn regarding which set of variables, in which order, represents the most likely path from some presumed cause of interest to some presumed effect of interest.

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Psychology term of the day

January 14th 2025

Kruskal–Shepard scaling

Kruskal–Shepard scaling

a type of multidimensional scaling applied to judgments of similarity or dissimilarity for pairs of items (e.g., cities). The dissimilarities are represented by distances between items in a highly dimensional space: Larger distances indicate greater dissimilarity. [William Henry Kruskal (1919–2005), U.S. statistician; Roger N. Shepard (1929–  ), U.S. experimental and cognitive psychologist]