What Kind Of A Causality Concept Do We Need İn Behavioral And Social Genomics?

Abstract

In this paper, we will examine the properties of the concept of causality that best reflects how genes exert their effects in fields such as behavioral genetics and sociogenomics. First, regularity-based, mechanistic and difference-making causality concepts will be analyzed, and we will identify which of these is commonly used by scientists in the aforementioned fields. According to the results of this study, what is understood as genetic causality in genome-wide association studies is a difference-making concept of causality in line with the interventionist theory. In this approach, causality is not the sum total of all the conditions, processes and activities that bring about the phenomenon with all its facets. The cause is a factor or set of factors that explains the differences between the actual or hypothetical situations being compared. An intervention is an ideal experiment. This notion, which has been elucidated by various philosophers of science, especially by Judea Pearl and James Woodward, accurately reflects current usage in the fields mentioned. However, unless these genomic methods are supported by experimental studies, the relationship between genes and complex phenotypes will not go beyond correlation and satisfy the conditions of the interventionist theory. Mechanistic causation theory has the advantage of capturing causal relationships in a richer way, but it is very difficult to develop mechanistic models when even weaker criteria cannot be met.

Keywords

• Causality
• GWAS
• İnterventionist Theory
• Behavioral Genetics
• Mechanism

Davranışsal ve Sosyal Genomikte Nasıl Bir Nedensellik Kavramına İhtiyacımız Var?

Öz

Bu makalede, davranış genetiği ve sosyogenomik gibi alanlarda genlerin etkilerini nasıl gösterdiklerini en iyi şekilde ifade eden nedensellik kavramının taşıması gereken özellikler incelenecektir. İlk olarak düzenliliğe dayalı, mekanik ve fark yaratmaya dayalı nedensellik kavramları analiz edilecek ve bunlardan hangisinin bahsi geçen alanlardaki bilim insanları tarafından yaygın olarak kullanıldığı saptanacaktır. Bu çalışmada ortaya çıkan sonuçlara göre genom düzeyinde ilişkilendirme çalışmalarında genetik nedensellikten anlaşılan, fark yaratmaya dayalı, müdahale kuramı ekseninde bir nedensellik kavramıdır. Bu yaklaşımda nedensellik, olguyu bütün veçheleriyle ortaya çıkaran tüm koşul, süreç ve aktivitelerin toplamı değildir. Neden, karşılaştırılan gerçek veya varsayımsal durumların farklarını açıklayan bir faktör veya faktörler kümesidir. Müdahale ise ideal bir deneydir. Başta Judea Pearl ve James Woodward olmak üzere, çeşitli bilim felsefecileri tarafından açımlanan bu kavrayış, ilgili alanlardaki mevcut kullanımı doğru yansıtmakla birlikte, mevzubahis genomik yöntemler deneysel çalışmalarla desteklenmediği sürece, genler ve karmaşık fenotipler arasındaki ilişki korelasyondan öteye geçmeyecek ve müdahale kuramının nedensellik atfı koşullarını karşılayamayacaktır. Mekanik nedensellik kuramı nedensel ilişkileri daha zengin biçimde yansıtması açısından avantajlıdır, ancak daha zayıf kriterlerin bile karşılanamadığı bir durumda mekanistik modellerin geliştirilmesi oldukça zordur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Nedensellik
• GWAS
• Müdahale Kuramı
• Davranış Genetiği
• Mekanizmacılık

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