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DTSTAMP:20260416T075117Z
DESCRIPTION:Abstract:\n\nCausal mediation techniques are a means for identi
 fying the degree to which a cause influences its effect along particular c
 ausal paths. For example\, in a model where a cause influences its effect 
 both indirectly via a mediator and directly via factors not included in th
 e model\, mediation techniques enable one to measure both direct and indir
 ect effects. Although mediation techniques are widely employed\, they are 
 often misunderstood. This is in part due to the long-term influence of Bar
 on and Kenny’s (1986) treatment of mediation\, which applies only to linea
 r models without interaction\, and which leads one to develop intuitions a
 bout direct and indirect effects that do not generalize to non-parametric 
 causal models. In my talk\, I identify and reject three persistent myths a
 bout mediation. I argue that such methods: 1. Should not be understood as 
 decomposing the total effect into additive components corresponding to the
  contributions of the paths\; 2. Are not a means for eliminating latent he
 terogeneity\; and 3. Do not require one to appeal to causal concepts other
  than the counterfactual causal ones built into structural causal models. 
 These points are crucial for understanding mediation effects in any contex
 ts in which they are studied\, and have particular applications for studie
 s of fairness and discrimination\, in which such effects play an increasin
 gly central role (Plečko and Bareinboim\, 2022).\n\nSpeaker\n\nNaftali Wei
 nberger is a scientific researcher at the Munich Center for Mathematical P
 hilosophy. His work concerns the use of causal methodology to address foun
 dational questions arising in the philosophy of science as well as questio
 ns arising in particular sciences\, including: biology\, psychometrics\, n
 euroscience\, and cognitive science. He currently has two primary research
  projects – one on causation in complex dynamical systems and another on t
 he use of causal methods for the analysis of racial discrimination. He is 
 currently trying to convince causal researchers that causal representation
 s are implicitly relative to a particular time-scale and that it is theref
 ore crucial to pay attention to temporal dynamics when designing and evalu
 ating interventions.\n
DTSTART:20230915T193000Z
DTEND:20230915T203000Z
LOCATION:Room 1104\, Burnside Hall\, CA\, QC\, Montreal\, H3A 0B9\, 805 rue
  Sherbrooke Ouest
SUMMARY:Naftali Weinberger (Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy)
URL:https://www.mcgill.ca/mathstat/channels/event/naftali-weinberger-munich
 -center-mathematical-philosophy-350810
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