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Related Concept Videos

Causality in Epidemiology01:21

Causality in Epidemiology

Causality or causation is a fundamental concept in epidemiology, vital for understanding the relationships between various factors and health outcomes. Despite its importance, there's no single, universally accepted definition of causality within the discipline. Drawing from a systematic review, causality in epidemiology encompasses several definitions, including production, necessary and sufficient, sufficient-component, counterfactual, and probabilistic models. Each has its strengths and...
Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II01:28

Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II

The Bradford Hill criteria serve as guidelines for establishing causative links in epidemiological research. Beyond Strength, Consistency, Specificity, and Temporality, key criteria also include Biological Gradient, Plausibility, Coherence, Experiment, and Analogy. These principles assist scientists in assessing the likelihood of causation in complex biological contexts. Below is a summary of these concepts:
Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - I01:30

Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - I

The Bradford Hill criteria are a group of principles that provide a framework to determine a causal relationship between a specific factor and a disease. There are nine criteria that are pivotal in assessing causality in epidemiological studies. Here's a closer look at Strength, Consistency, Specificity, and Temporality criteria with definitions and examples:
Cause and Effect01:53

Cause and Effect

While variables are sometimes correlated because one does cause the other, it could also be that some other factor, a confounding variable, is actually causing the systematic movement in our variables of interest. For instance, as sales in ice cream increase, so does the overall rate of crime. Is it possible that indulging in your favorite flavor of ice cream could send you on a crime spree? Or, after committing crime do you think you might decide to treat yourself to a cone?
Dynamics of Circular Motion01:30

Dynamics of Circular Motion

An object undergoing circular motion, like a race car, is accelerating because it is changing the direction of its velocity. This centrally directed acceleration is called centripetal acceleration. This acceleration acts along the radius of the curved path (thus is also referred to as radial acceleration).
Any acceleration must be produced by some force. Therefore, any force or combination of forces can cause centripetal acceleration. A few examples include the tension in the rope on a...
Correlation and Causation01:27

Correlation and Causation

Correlation and CausationStatistical tests can calculate whether there is a relationship, or correlation, between independent and dependent variables. A relationship between variables shows correlation, but it does not show cause-and-effect. A direct cause-and-effect relationship requires additional controlled experiments. If no consistent relationship exists between the variables, then there is no correlation.Correlation versus CausationIf the dependent variable increases or decreases when the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Application of Granger Causality Analysis of the Directed Functional Connection in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment
08:43

Application of Granger Causality Analysis of the Directed Functional Connection in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published on: August 7, 2017

How causal is "circular causality"?

Katrin Schmietendorf1

  • 1Center for Data Science and Complexity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.

Frontiers in Network Physiology
|July 13, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Network physiology explains organism-wide states using self-organization principles from Synergetics. This approach highlights downward causation, a concept crucial for understanding complex systems but philosophically debated.

Keywords:
anti-reductionismcomplex systemsdownward causationemergencenetwork physiologyreductionismself-organisationsynergetics

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Application of Granger Causality Analysis of the Directed Functional Connection in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment
08:43

Application of Granger Causality Analysis of the Directed Functional Connection in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published on: August 7, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Complex Systems Science
  • Philosophy of Science

Background:

  • Network physiology studies emergent physiological states from component interactions.
  • Synergetics provides concepts like order parameters and circular causality for self-organization.
  • Downward causation is a key concept in complex systems and emergence debates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the link between network physiology and Synergetics.
  • To examine the role of downward causation in self-organization phenomena.
  • To discuss the philosophical implications of downward causation in scientific research.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis integrating network physiology and Synergetics.
  • Review of literature on self-organization and downward causation.
  • Philosophical examination of reductionism, emergence, and ontological causation.

Main Results:

  • Network physiology aligns with Synergetics' principles of order parameters and enslavement.
  • Downward causation offers a powerful explanatory framework for self-organized physiological states.
  • The ontological status of downward causation remains a subject of philosophical contention.

Conclusions:

  • Network physiology and Synergetics offer a unified framework for understanding complex biological systems.
  • Downward causation is a vital, albeit debated, concept for explaining emergent properties in physiology.
  • Further interdisciplinary dialogue is needed to clarify the role and nature of downward causation.