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Not Quite Crisp, Not Yet Fuzzy? Assessing the Potentials and Pitfalls of Multi-value QCA

Maastricht University / University of Lisbon

Olaf Van Vliet

Leiden University

This article assesses the strengths and shortcomings of multi-value qualitative comparative analysis (mvQCA), a comparative technique for small- to medium-sized data sets that has been integrated in the TOSMANA software developed by Lasse Cronqvist. The main difference with "crisp-set" QCA is that in mvQCA, the conditions can have more values than just the Boolean values 0 and 1, whereas the main difference with "fuzzy-set" QCA is that mvQCA conditions remain discrete. The major advantage of nondichotomous categorization, according to its proponents, is that it reduces the likelihood of contradictory configurations because of a more homogeneous grouping of cases. We give an overview of existing mvQCA applications, with a detailed discussion of two recent publications, and argue that crisp-set and fuzzy-set alternatives should be less easily discarded, as the mvQCA solution comes with substantial set-theoretical costs.

Key Words: comparative methods • Boolean analysis • multi-value QCA • fuzzy-set methods

Field Methods, Vol. 21, No. 3, 265-289 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1525822X09332633


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