Multiple Causation

Term · Environment · MLC-T-ENV-017927

1. The term multiple causation is applied to two distinct situations: 1. Plural causation refers to situations in which multiple causes may induce a general effect. For example, many different causes induce the effect "impaired stream" in different streams. Plural causation results from broadly defined effects. If we define the effect as reduced brook trout abundance, the number of causes is reduced. If we further define it as reduced abundance in the first kilometer of Red Brook in 2002, there is only a single cause, but it may be complex. Hence, plural causation is an issue only when deriving general causal relationships, not for specific cases. 2. Complex causation refers to situations in which the cause has multiple components. For example, a fish kill may be due to the interaction of high temperatures and low dissolved oxygen. This is a single but complex cause.

2. The term multiple causation is applied to two distinct situations: 1. Plural causation refers to situations in which multiple causes may induce a general effect. For example, many different causes induce the effect "impaired stream" in different streams. Plural causation results from broadly defined effects. If we define the effect as reduced brook trout abundance, the number of causes is reduced. If we further define it as reduced abundance in the first kilometer of Red Brook in 2002, there is only a single cause, but it may be complex. Hence, plural causation is an issue only when deriving general causal relationships, not for specific cases.

3. Complex causation refers to situations in which the cause has multiple components. For example, a fish kill may be due to the interaction of high temperatures and low dissolved oxygen. This is a single but complex cause.

Table 1. Record
Identifier	MLC-T-ENV-017927
Field	Environment
Subject	Information management and systems
References	CADDIS: Causal Concepts; Causal Concepts

Record as JSON

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-017927",
  "term": "Multiple Causation",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. The term multiple causation is applied to two distinct situations: 1. Plural causation refers to situations in which multiple causes may induce a general effect. For example, many different causes induce the effect \"impaired stream\" in different streams. Plural causation results from broadly defined effects. If we define the effect as reduced brook trout abundance, the number of causes is reduced. If we further define it as reduced abundance in the first kilometer of Red Brook in 2002, there is only a single cause, but it may be complex. Hence, plural causation is an issue only when deriving general causal relationships, not for specific cases. 2. Complex causation refers to situations in which the cause has multiple components. For example, a fish kill may be due to the interaction of high temperatures and low dissolved oxygen. This is a single but complex cause.\n\n2. The term multiple causation is applied to two distinct situations: 1. Plural causation refers to situations in which multiple causes may induce a general effect. For example, many different causes induce the effect \"impaired stream\" in different streams. Plural causation results from broadly defined effects. If we define the effect as reduced brook trout abundance, the number of causes is reduced. If we further define it as reduced abundance in the first kilometer of Red Brook in 2002, there is only a single cause, but it may be complex. Hence, plural causation is an issue only when deriving general causal relationships, not for specific cases.\n\n3. Complex causation refers to situations in which the cause has multiple components. For example, a fish kill may be due to the interaction of high temperatures and low dissolved oxygen. This is a single but complex cause.",
  "subject": "Information management and systems",
  "references": [
    "CADDIS: Causal Concepts",
    "Causal Concepts"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/multiple-causation/"
}

Record 17,927 of 30,736 in Environment terminology (MLC-0121). Request the full dataset.