Which term covers methods to determine if one thing truly causes another?

• A. Gold Standard
• B. Causal Inference
• C. Natural Experiment
• D. Research Question

Answer: (B)

Causal inference is the set of methods used to determine whether one thing truly causes another. It tackles the difference between mere association and a real causal effect by using study designs and analyses that control for confounding, bias, and other alternative explanations. This umbrella includes both experimental approaches, where randomization helps isolate the cause, and observational approaches that use quasi-experimental designs like instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, and difference-in-differences to infer causality.

Gold standard is a label often applied to randomized controlled trials as the preferred benchmark for causal evidence, but it’s not the general term for the methods themselves. A natural experiment refers to a specific design that leverages natural variation to estimate effects, rather than the broad field of causality methods. A research question is the inquiry driving the study, not the methods used to establish causality.