Concepts connect ontology to measurement through semantic mapping, not causal arrows

Evidence

Of importance is the absence in figure 2.1 of any causal arrows, i.e., →. At the end of this chapter, I will contrast the basic framework with latent variable models where causation is absolutely central, linking indicators as causal effects of latent variables. In contrast, the basic framework is a semantic and ontological one. One can think of figures like 2.1 as a semantic mapping that connects definitions, meaning, and ontology with data and measurement. — Gary Goertz, Social Science Concepts and Measurement, 165

Categorization

• DEEPTHINKING: The ontological-vs-causal contrast between concept structure and latent variable models reframes how one thinks about all measurement in the social sciences.
• QUESTION: When is a constitutive model the right one and when is a causal indicator model? The book implies this is a real choice, not a convention.