Causalityarviointi

Causalityarviointi, often translated as "causality assessment" or "causal evaluation," is a systematic process used to determine whether a cause-and-effect relationship exists between two or more phenomena. This involves analyzing evidence to establish that a particular event, action, or factor (the cause) directly led to another event or outcome (the effect). The goal is to move beyond mere correlation, which observes that two things occur together, to demonstrating a genuine causal link.

The process typically involves several key steps. First, a clear definition of the potential cause and effect is established. Then, evidence is gathered and examined, which can include observational data, experimental results, and expert judgment. A critical aspect is ruling out alternative explanations or confounding factors that might also explain the observed outcome. Various frameworks and methodologies exist for conducting causality assessments, depending on the field of application, such as in epidemiology, law, engineering, or social sciences.

In scientific contexts, the Bradford Hill criteria are often consulted as a set of guidelines to help infer causality from observational studies, considering factors like strength of association, consistency, specificity, temporality, biological gradient, plausibility, coherence, experiment, and analogy. Legal settings may employ different standards of proof, such as the "but for" test, to establish legal causation. Regardless of the specific methodology, a thorough causality assessment aims for objectivity and rigor to ensure reliable conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships.