added type checking for treatment variable for methods that expect bool. user is expected to specify the right dtype for each column

dowhy/causal_estimators/linear_regression_estimator.py

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import pandas as pd
 from dowhy.causal_estimator import CausalEstimate
 from dowhy.causal_estimator import CausalEstimator
 
+import statsmodels.api as sm
 
 class LinearRegressionEstimator(CausalEstimator):
     """Compute effect of treatment using linear regression.
@@ -30,21 +31,24 @@ class LinearRegressionEstimator(CausalEstimator):
         self._linear_model = None
 
     def _estimate_effect(self):
-        treatment_2d = self._treatment.values.reshape(len(self._treatment), -1)
+        if self._effect_modifiers is None:
-        if len(self._observed_common_causes_names)>0:
+            treatment_2d = self._treatment.values.reshape(len(self._treatment), -1)
-            features = np.concatenate((treatment_2d, self._observed_common_causes),
+            if len(self._observed_common_causes_names)>0:
-                                  axis=1)
+                features = np.concatenate((treatment_2d, self._observed_common_causes),
-        else:
+                                      axis=1)
-            features = treatment_2d
+            else:
-        self._linear_model = linear_model.LinearRegression()
+                features = treatment_2d
-        self._linear_model.fit(features, self._outcome)
+            self._linear_model = linear_model.LinearRegression()
-        coefficients = self._linear_model.coef_
+            self._linear_model.fit(features, self._outcome)
-        self.logger.debug("Coefficients of the fitted linear model: " +
+            coefficients = self._linear_model.coef_
-                          ",".join(map(str, coefficients)))
+            self.logger.debug("Coefficients of the fitted linear model: " +
-        estimate = CausalEstimate(estimate=coefficients[0],
+                              ",".join(map(str, coefficients)))
+            estimate = CausalEstimate(estimate=coefficients[0],
                                   target_estimand=self._target_estimand,
                                   realized_estimand_expr=self.symbolic_estimator,
                                   intercept=self._linear_model.intercept_)
+        else:
+            pass #TODO
         return estimate
 
     def construct_symbolic_estimator(self, estimand):

dowhy/causal_estimators/propensity_score_matching_estimator.py

@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ class PropensityScoreMatchingEstimator(CausalEstimator):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+
+        # Checking if treatment is binary
+        if not pd.api.types.is_bool_dtype(self._data[self._treatment_name]):
+            error_msg = "Propensity Score Matching method is only applicable for binary treatments. Try explictly setting dtype=bool for the treatment column."
+            raise Exception(error_msg)
+
         self.logger.debug("Back-door variables used:" +
                           ",".join(self._target_estimand.backdoor_variables))
         self._observed_common_causes_names = self._target_estimand.backdoor_variables
@@ -22,6 +28,8 @@ class PropensityScoreMatchingEstimator(CausalEstimator):
             self.logger.error(error_msg)
             raise Exception(error_msg)
 
+
+
         self.logger.info("INFO: Using Propensity Score Matching Estimator")
         self.symbolic_estimator = self.construct_symbolic_estimator(self._target_estimand)
         self.logger.info(self.symbolic_estimator)

dowhy/causal_estimators/propensity_score_stratification_estimator.py

@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ class PropensityScoreStratificationEstimator(CausalEstimator):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, num_strata=50, clipping_threshold=10, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(*args,  **kwargs)
+        # Checking if treatment is binary
+        if not pd.api.types.is_bool_dtype(self._data[self._treatment_name]):
+            error_msg = "Propensity Score Stratification method is only applicable for binary treatments. Try explictly setting dtype=bool for the treatment column."
+            raise Exception(error_msg)
+
         self.logger.debug("Back-door variables used:" +
                           ",".join(self._target_estimand.backdoor_variables))
         self._observed_common_causes_names = self._target_estimand.backdoor_variables

dowhy/causal_estimators/propensity_score_weighting_estimator.py

@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ class PropensityScoreWeightingEstimator(CausalEstimator):
 
     def __init__(self, *args, min_ps_score=0.05, max_ps_score=0.95, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        # Checking if treatment is binary
+        if not pd.api.types.is_bool_dtype(self._data[self._treatment_name]):
+            error_msg = "Propensity Score Weighting method is only applicable for binary treatments. Try explictly setting dtype=bool for the treatment column."
+            raise Exception(error_msg)
+
         self.logger.debug("Back-door variables used:" +
                           ",".join(self._target_estimand.backdoor_variables))
         self._observed_common_causes_names = self._target_estimand.backdoor_variables

dowhy/causal_refuters/add_unobserved_common_cause.py

@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ class AddUnobservedCommonCause(CausalRefuter):
         if self.effect_on_t == "binary_flip":
             new_data['temp_rand_no'] = np.random.random(num_rows)
             new_data.loc[new_data['temp_rand_no'] <= self.kappa_t, self._treatment_name ]  = 1- new_data[self._treatment_name]
+            if pd.api.types.is_bool_dtype(self._data[self._treatment_name]):
+                for tname in self._treatment_name:
+                    new_data = new_data.astype({tname: 'bool'}, copy=False)
             new_data.pop('temp_rand_no')
         elif self.effect_on_t == "linear":
             confounder_t_effect = self.kappa_t * w_random

dowhy/datasets.py

@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ def linear_dataset(beta, num_common_causes, num_samples, num_instruments=0,
         t += W @ c1  # + np.random.normal(0, 0.01)
     if num_instruments > 0:
         t += Z @ cz
+    # Converting treatment to binary if required
     if treatment_is_binary:
         t = np.vectorize(stochastically_convert_to_binary)(t)
     y =  beta*t  # + np.random.normal(0,0.01)
@@ -76,6 +77,11 @@ def linear_dataset(beta, num_common_causes, num_samples, num_instruments=0,
     other_variables = None
     col_names = effect_modifiers + instruments + common_causes + [treatment, outcome]
     data = pd.DataFrame(data, columns=col_names)
+    # Specifying the correct dtypes
+    if treatment_is_binary:
+        data = data.astype({treatment:'bool'}, copy=False)
+
+    # Now specifying the corresponding graph strings
     dot_graph = ('digraph {{ {0} ->{1};'
                  ' U[label="Unobserved Confounders"];'
                  ' U->{0}; U->{1};'