Term for that within the social science is “endogeneity” — variables that are influenced by other elements within the model or system being studied. Given the reality that you can’t randomly assign negative traits like porn consumption, the best we can hope for is a natural experiment of some kind
Great point! Reminds me of this line from City of God: "The truth is that one should not try to find an efficient cause for a wrong choice. It is not a matter of efficiency, but of deficiency; the evil will itself is not effective but defective. For to defect from him who is the Supreme Existence, to something of less reality, this is to begin to have an evil will. To try to discover the causes of such defection is like trying to see darkness or to hear silence."
Term for that within the social science is “endogeneity” — variables that are influenced by other elements within the model or system being studied. Given the reality that you can’t randomly assign negative traits like porn consumption, the best we can hope for is a natural experiment of some kind
Great point! Reminds me of this line from City of God: "The truth is that one should not try to find an efficient cause for a wrong choice. It is not a matter of efficiency, but of deficiency; the evil will itself is not effective but defective. For to defect from him who is the Supreme Existence, to something of less reality, this is to begin to have an evil will. To try to discover the causes of such defection is like trying to see darkness or to hear silence."