Entry
Entries A-Z
Multivariate Explanation
In anthropology, a method of explaining the evolution of a culture or society. Mutivariate explanations emphasize the interaction and aggregate of the interaction of several aspects of that society operating simultaneously or sequentially. Multivariate explanations are distinguished from monocausal explanations, which attribute the existence of a phenomenon to a single cause. Multivariate explanations have recently been used in studies of election behavior, household composition, crime trends, and health status. Multivariate explanations can be more generally applied to empirical research. Multivariate analyses are conducted to explain the causality of a behavior or issue from multiple perspectives. Multivariate explanations are considered valuable because they allow for complexity and richness not available in “single-factor” analyses, though neither approach can address causality.