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Philosophy by Cristian Larroulet Philippi

Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 2020

What is a valid measuring instrument? Recent philosophy has attended to logic of justification of... more What is a valid measuring instrument? Recent philosophy has attended to logic of justification of measures, such as construct validation, but not to the question of what it means for an instrument to be a valid measure of a construct. A prominent approach grounds validity in the existence of a causal link between the attribute and its detectable manifestations. Some of its proponents claim that, therefore, validity does not depend on pragmatics and research context. In this paper, I cast doubt on the possibility of a context-independent causal account of validity (what I call unconditional validity). I assess several versions, arguing that all of them fail to judge the validity of measuring instruments correctly. Because different research purposes require different properties from measuring instruments, no account of validity succeeds without referring to the specific research purpose that creates the need for measurement in the first place.

Philosophy of Science, 2022

While practitioners think highly of randomized studies, some philosophers argue that there is no ... more While practitioners think highly of randomized studies, some philosophers argue that there is no epistemic reason to randomize. Here I show that their arguments do not entail their conclusion. Moreover, I provide novel reasons for randomizing in the context of interventional studies. The overall discussion provides a unified framework for assessing baseline balance, one that holds for interventional and observational studies alike. The upshot: Practitioners’ strong preference for randomized studies can be defended in some cases, while still offering a nuanced approach to evidence appraisal, one where not all nonrandomized studies are treated equally.

The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science

There is a received view on measurement scales. It includes both a classification of scales (nomi... more There is a received view on measurement scales. It includes both a classification of scales (nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio) and a set of prescriptions regarding measurement inferences. This paper casts doubt on the adequacy of this received view. To do this, I propose an epistemic characterization of the ordinal/interval distinction, i.e., one in terms of researchers’ beliefs. This novel characterization reveals the ordinal/interval distinction as too coarse-grained, and thus the received view as too restrictive of a framework for measurement research.

Philosophy of Science, 2020

Kitcher has proposed an ideal-theory account-well-ordered science (WOS)-of the collective good th... more Kitcher has proposed an ideal-theory account-well-ordered science (WOS)-of the collective good that science's research agenda should promote. Against criticism regarding WOS's action-guidance, Kitcher has advised critics not to confuse substantive ideals and the ways to arrive at them, and he has defended WOS as a necessary and useful ideal for science policy. I provide a distinction between two types of ideal-theories that helps clarifying WOS's elusive nature. I use this distinction to argue that the action-guidance problem that WOS faces remains even under the aims/means distinction, because the WOS's failure is more basic than critics have suggested.

One area of the practice of science where the collective good is particularly at stake is in the ... more One area of the practice of science where the collective good is particularly at stake is in the decisions regarding science's agenda. But which is that collective good that science's research agenda should promote? Philip Kitcher has provided an ideal account: well-ordered science. In this essay, I argue that Kitcher's understanding of his ideal account, as the answers of a hypothetical procedure, leaves it liable to criticism regarding both its capacity for guiding action and its democratic legitimacy. I suggest a procedural reading of the ideal, one that can provide standards for the actual deliberations to be carried out. This reading of the ideal allows it to be defended against the two concerns mentioned.

Economics by Cristian Larroulet Philippi

International Journal for Equity in Health, 2017

Background: This paper studies the socioeconomic disparities in self-perceived oral health among ... more Background: This paper studies the socioeconomic disparities in self-perceived oral health among Chilean adults and in the perceived physical, functional, psychological and social consequences of oral health. Methods: In February 2011, 1,413 residents of Metropolitan Area of Santiago, Chile, were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire and examined by dentists for dental status and oral health conditions. Only adults 18 to 60 years old affiliated with the public healthcare system were eligible to participate. We estimate socioeconomic gradients in self-perceived oral health and its distinct dimensions. We use the Heckman two-step procedure to control for selection bias given the non-random nature of the sample. In addition, we use a two-equation ordered response model given the discrete nature of the dependent variable. Results: There is a non-linear socioeconomic gradient in self-perceived oral health even after controlling for oral health status. The gradient is steep at the lower end of the income distribution and constant at mid-income levels. These socioeconomic disparities are also found for the psychological and social dimensions of self-perceived oral health, but not for the functional limitations and physical pain dimensions. Conclusions: The findings are consistent with inequities in the access to oral health services due to insufficient provision in the public sector and costly options in the private sector.

Information plays a key role in markets with consumer choice. In education, data on school qualit... more Information plays a key role in markets with consumer choice. In education, data on school quality is often gathered through standardized testing. However, the use of these tests has been controversial because of behavioral responses that could distort performance measures. We study the Chilean educational market and document that low-performing students are underrepresented in test days, generating distortions in school quality information. These distorted quality signals a↵ect parents' school choice and induce misallo-cation of public programs. These results indicate that undesirable responses to test-based accountability systems may impose significant costs on educational markets.

Background This paper studies the socioeconomic disparities in self-perceived oral health among ... more Background
This paper studies the socioeconomic disparities in self-perceived oral health among Chilean adults and in the perceived physical, functional, psychological and social consequences of oral health.
Methods
In February 2011, 1,413 residents of Metropolitan Area of Santiago, Chile, were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire and examined by dentists for dental status and oral health conditions. Only adults 18 to 60 years old affiliated with the public healthcare system were eligible to participate. We estimate socioeconomic gradients in self-perceived oral health and its distinct dimensions. We use the Heckman two-step procedure to control for selection bias given the non-random nature of the sample. In addition, we use a two-equation ordered response model given the discrete nature of the dependent variable.
Results
There is a non-linear socioeconomic gradient in self-perceived oral health even after controlling for oral health status. The gradient is steep at the lower end of the income distribution and constant at mid-income levels. These socioeconomic disparities are also found for the psychological and social dimensions of self-perceived oral health, but not for the functional limitations and physical pain dimensions.
Conclusions
The findings are consistent with inequities in the access to oral health services due to insufficient provision in the public sector and costly options in the private sector.

Drafts by Cristian Larroulet Philippi

This paper examines how improving dental health affects economic, social, and psychological outco... more This paper examines how improving dental health affects economic, social, and psychological outcomes. In a randomized experiment, we provide a low-income group in Chile free dental care, including prostheses, and find significant and persistent impacts on men's and women's dental and self-perceived mental health. For women, treatment generates steady improvement in selfesteem, significant impact on appearance, short-run improvements in employment and earnings, and improvement in partner interactions. We find no impact for men in any of these dimensions. Heterogeneity analyses suggest that treatment effects on labor market outcomes are larger for women with more severe visible dental issues at baseline. In summary, we find that increasing access to dental care, including cosmetic elements, improves important aspects of people's lives.