Question

What among the following is not characteristic of a causal model?

(a) Causal models make predictions about the behaviour of the system

(b) Causal models assign truth value

(c) Causal models do not include the effect of intervention

(d) Causal models determine probabilistic dependence of variables

I got this question in an internship interview.

This question is from Architecture topic in division Cognitive Radio Architecture of Cognitive Radio

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

(c) Causal models do not include the effect of intervention

Explanation:

Causal models, especially those used in the context of cognitive radio and other complex systems, are specifically designed to capture causal relationships between variables, and they do include the effects of interventions. In fact, one of the main purposes of causal modeling is to understand how changes (interventions) to one part of the system can affect other parts.

Here's a breakdown of the options:

• (a) Causal models make predictions about the behaviour of the system: This is true. Causal models are used to predict how variables in a system will behave under different conditions, including interventions.

• (b) Causal models assign truth value: This is also true. In the context of causal logic and Bayesian networks, truth values are assigned to model the presence or absence of certain causal relationships between variables.

• (c) Causal models do not include the effect of intervention: This is false. Causal models explicitly include the ability to model interventions, such as changing a variable and observing how it affects other variables in the system (often known as do-calculus or intervention analysis).

• (d) Causal models determine probabilistic dependence of variables: This is true. Causal models often involve probabilistic relationships, where the dependence between variables is quantified, especially in probabilistic graphical models.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer because it contradicts the fundamental characteristic of causal models, which are meant to account for the effects of interventions.