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Power calculation for causal inference in social science: sample size and minimum detectable effect determination

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  • Eric W. Djimeu
  • Deo-Gracias Houndolo

Abstract

This paper presents the statistical concepts used in power calculations for experimental design. It provides detailed definitions of parameters used to perform power calculations, useful rules of thumb and different approaches that can be used when performing power calculations. The authors draw from real-world examples to calculate statistical power for individual and cluster randomised controlled trials. This paper provides formulae for sample size determination and minimum detectable effect (MDE) associated with a given statistical power. The paper is accompanied by the sample size and MDE calculator©, a free online tool that allows users to work with the formulae presented in Section 4.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric W. Djimeu & Deo-Gracias Houndolo, 2016. "Power calculation for causal inference in social science: sample size and minimum detectable effect determination," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(4), pages 508-527, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevef:v:8:y:2016:i:4:p:508-527
    DOI: 10.1080/19439342.2016.1244555
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Howard S. Bloom, 1995. "Minimum Detectable Effects," Evaluation Review, , vol. 19(5), pages 547-556, October.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Helmers, Viola & Frondel, Manuel & Sommer, Stephan, 2023. "On the Acceptance of Congestion Charges: Experimental Evidence for Six European Countries," VfS Annual Conference 2023 (Regensburg): Growth and the "sociale Frage" 277706, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    3. Bachmann, Ronald & Boockmann, Bernhard & Cim, Merve & Felder, Rahel & Frings, Hanna & Janisch, Laura M. & Schaffner, Sandra & Späth, Jochen & Tamm, Marcus, 2018. "Vergleich von Datenquellen für eine Analyse von Übergängen am Arbeitsmarkt: Studie im Auftrag der Mindestlohnkommission," RWI Projektberichte, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, number 180217.
    4. Marcus, Maja-Emilia & Reuter, Anna & Rogge, Lisa & Vollmer, Sebastian, 2021. "Did you know? The effect of SMS reminders on health screening uptake in Indonesia," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242404, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    5. W. Robert Reed, 2018. "A Primer on the ‘Reproducibility Crisis’ and Ways to Fix It," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 51(2), pages 286-300, June.
    6. Chowdhury, Shyamal & Smits, Joeri & Sun, Qigang, 2020. "Contract structure, time preference, and technology adoption," GLO Discussion Paper Series 633, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    7. Hannah Holmes & Katsushi S. Imai, 2019. "Fair Trade and Wellbeing Improvements: Evidence from Sri Lanka," Discussion Paper Series DP2019-25, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    8. Bachmann, Ronald & Felder, Rahel & Schaffner, Sandra & Tamm, Marcus, 2018. "Some (Maybe) Unpleasant Arithmetic in Minimum Wage Evaluations: The Role of Power, Significance and Sample Size," IZA Discussion Papers 11867, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Chowdhury, Shyamal & Smits, Joeri & Sun, Qigang, 2020. "Contract Structure, Time Preference, and Technology Adoption," IZA Discussion Papers 13590, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Jiarui Tian, 2021. "A Replication of “The effect of the conservation reserve program on rural economies: Deriving a statistical verdict from a null finding” (American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 2019)," Working Papers in Economics 21/12, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance.
    11. Jérémy Hervelin & Pierre Villedieu, 2022. "The Benefits of Early Work Experience for School Dropouts: Evidence from a Field Experiment," THEMA Working Papers 2022-07, THEMA (THéorie Economique, Modélisation et Applications), Université de Cergy-Pontoise.
    12. Bachmann, Ronald & Kluve, Jochen & Martinez Flores, Fernanda & Stöterau, Jonathan, 2019. "Employment impacts of German development cooperation interventions: A collaborative study in three pilot countries," RWI Projektberichte, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, number 215904.

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