POL 51 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Ecological Fallacy, Confounding, Random Assignment
20 Apr 2017
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In an experiment, you assign a treatment to one group and a placebo to the control through a random assignment with the researcher controlling the independent variable. Ecological fallacy: drawing incorrect conclusions about individuals based on aggregates. Selecting on the dv: forgetting to let your variables vary. Regression to the mean: are extreme values of y due to chance. Ecological inference: use of aggregate data to study the behavior of individuals. When a relationship present in different groups is reversed when the groups are combined. Separate: female acceptance higher but combined: male acceptance higher. Fowler: iv: appearing on show; dv: amount of support the candidate gets. Selection bias: non random factor affecting values of x. democrats not doing well so appear on show vs republicans doing well and then appearing on the show. Zs: incumbency, party id, donations prior to show. Method: compare each politician who went to show and then match them with someone similar.
