Abstract
I evaluate a method recently proposed in the American Sociological Review for identifying the causal effects of cultural values on individual behavior. I derive the assumptions of the method and explain why they are unlikely to hold, even when ideal data are available. When ideal data are unavailable, I show that the proposed alternative is not only unnecessary, but diminishes the transparency and validity of empirical research. I conclude with some suggestions regarding the conceptualization and measurement of cultural effects in future research.
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