Types of Causal Arguments
In the post for your Causal Argument task I will be happy to provide (if you request for them) specific recommendations you might find helpful in crafting Causal Arguments for your research topics. While you put your arguments together, decide what sort of framework suits your argument best:
Single Cause with a Single Effect (X causes Y)
“Facebook Can Cost Us Our Jobs”
The premise is that something supposedly personal, about which our employers should have nothing to say, is nevertheless available to our employers, and to prospective employers, if we make it so. What needs to be proved is that information about our non-work lives, or information we post to Facebook about our work lives, can keep us from getting a job, from advancing in a job, or from keeping a job.
- You may say that sounds illegal or unethical, but your objection is irrelevant to the causal argument.
- You could examine how different professions handle social media differently (for example kindergarten teachers might be fired for indiscretions that wouldn’t cost an insurance agent her job), because your topic is still what costs the teacher and the agent their jobs.
- You could argue that free speech should be protected if it’s true, and nobody should be fired for saying his boss cheats on his wife, but your objection is irrelevant unless there really are certain types of speech for which we can’t be fired and types for which we can (X causes Z, but Y does not cause Z).
- You could certainly make a good argument that employers have different policies regarding social media activities of their employees (X causes Y at Company 1, while X causes Z at Company 2).
Single Cause with Several Effects (X causes Y and Z)
“We Are the Casualties of the War on Drugs”
The premise is that the War on Drugs has been counterproductive, subjecting the nation to increased drug use and drug-related death. What needs to be proved is that government interference in drug production and distribution creates crime, interrupts quality control, causes disease, and kills users, traffickers, and innocent bystanders of the illicit drug trade.
- You could argue that the prohibition of certain desirable substances leads inevitably to a frenzied underground and by definition criminal enterprise to meet the demand.
- You could argue that criminals aren’t always scrupulous about the quality of the contraband they deliver and that their product often harms or kills.
- You could point out the countless people languishing in jails for owning small amounts of something that used to be legal.
- You might want to mention that drug use, even sanctioned use of safe prescription drugs, can be very detrimental in and of itself, but your comments would be completely irrelevant to the causal argument.
- You might also want to say that drug dealers get what’s coming to them when they deal in illicit materials and it’s wrong to blame cops for killing them, but again, that’s irrelevant to the question of whether the War on Drugs results in death.
Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z)
“There’s No One Explanation for Gangs”
The premise is usually employed to refute the “common knowledge” that a single cause can be blamed for an effect. If you’ve chosen a topic about which everybody “knows” the cause and effect, your causal essay will dispute the notion that there is in fact a single cause.
- You could produce evidence that gangs are more prevalent in public housing projects than in suburban neighborhoods, but with special care. You still won’t have identified the cause, only the location of the cause.
- You could produce evidence that a large majority of the kids in gangs come from families without a present, positive, male role model, but with great care in how you describe the situation, to avoid using misleading shortcuts like “kids with no dads.”
- You could describe gangs as often engaged in petty criminal activity or as pointlessly obsessed with territorial disputes, but it’s completely irrelevant to your causal argument to describe what happens after a kid is in the gang when you intend to prove why he joined it in the first place.
A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z)
“Failure to Prosecute Rape Causes Rape”
The premise is that rape occurs because it’s tolerated and that every resulting rape reinforces the sense that it will be tolerated. Rapes of female students on college campuses are routinely reported to campus authorities, not local police, and are kept from local law enforcement to protect the reputation of the school at the expense of the rights of the victim. What needs to be proved is that the rapes are in fact kept secret, that the assailants escape justice, and that there is local awareness that sexual assaults are not prosecuted or punished.
- You might want to investigate how it came to be that colleges got jurisdiction for sexual assaults on campus, but it’s probably irrelevant, unless you can demonstrate that they did so deliberately in order to keep assaults secret.
- You might want to explain what you think are contributing causes, such as the loss of bonuses or jobs for administrators on whose watch the public learned of campus rapes.
- You would need to argue that somehow, even though the outside world never hears of these rapes, students on campus learn that assault victims are not believed or supported and that assailants are not punished. This is essential to the chain.
- You could make a suggestion that if victims of rape refused to be “handled” by honor boards and campus judiciaries and took their cases to the local prosecutors instead they could break the chain. Arguing how to break the chain is a confirmation of why the chain continues.
Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y)
“Violent Games Are Not the Missing Link”
The premise of this causation fallacy argument is nobody has yet proved a causal link between a steady diet of violent video games and actual physical violence in the lives of the gamers.
- You might be tempted to demonstrate that gamers are actually sweethearts who join the Boy Scouts and help old ladies across the street without knocking them down, but you don’t have to. You merely want to prove that they’re no more violent than players of other games.
- In fact, you don’t need to prove anything positive of your own to produce a strong causation fallacy argument; you only need to discredit the logic, the methods, or the premises of your opponents who think they have proved causation.
- For example, if an exhaustive study finds a strong link between kids who play violent video games and kids who kick their classmates on the playground, you argue this is mere correlation. It’s equally likely that the kids were violent first and attracted to the games as a result of their taste for aggression.
- You could also question the methodology of the supposed proof. If a questionnaire measures hostility, the answer: “I am suspicious of overly friendly strangers” no more proves hostility than it indicates a healthy wariness of the unknown.
In-class Exercise
Consider what you know about your own Topic and Thesis.
As a Reply to this post, make 5 brief Causal Arguments derived from your own research, as I have done above.
- Single Cause with a Single Effect (X causes Y)
- Single Cause with Several Effects (X causes Y and Z)
- Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z)
- A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z)
- Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y)
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xephos1
Counterintuitive Fall 2022 
1. Better equipment results in a better player.
2. Better equipment results in better players and more success among individuals.
3. Better equipment and better players result in more highly competitive competitions.
4. Not having the most advanced “technology” and newest equipment, puts players at a disadvantage to perform to their highest potential.
5. Safer equipment does not lead to more successful players.
1. The love for the several iterations of Spider-Man in the past twenty years is the reason Spider-Man: No Way Home has broken financial records.
2. Stan Lee’s decision to make an “everyman” superhero makes it enjoyable for him to not only beat up criminals, but go through the woes of an angsty teenager.
3. People love superheroes and when they’re accompanied with great stories about human relationships, they’re commercially and critically acclaimed.
4. Tobey Maguire playing the very first Spider-Man and being culturally adored paved the way for his return in 2021’s No Way Home and helped propel the movie to a record breaking run.
5. What makes people like Spider-Man isn’t more villains, more heroes, or more of anything. It’s a good story about overcoming struggle, unlike The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014).
44 Elk Causal Argument Types Exercise:
1. (X causes Y): Bad practices from Blizzard caused the death of Overwatch.
2. (X causes Y and Z): Bad game balance caused competitive players to lose interest and viewership for professional play to decrease.
3. (Both X and Y cause Z): Stagnant game balance and the lack of content updates caused interest in the game to drop off a cliff.
4. (X causes Y, which causes Z): Bad practices caused spokespeople/yesmen for the game (professional players, content creators) to become dissatisfied, which caused the player base to become comfortable with sharing their own dissatisfaction.
5. (X does not cause Y): The explosion of popularity for Valorant did not kill Overwatch.
1. The constant need for organ transplants with no matches causes the people on the waiting list to get sicker and sicker.
2. Organ donor status determines your treatment within a hospital.
3. Both receiving a match and the urgency of needing a organ transplant cause you to get treatment faster.
4. Bad health can cause Kidney failure which leads to the need of dialysis.
5. Financial Status does not make your place go up on the list when waiting to receive an organ.
( I had a hard time doing this for my exact hypothesis , so I just did something relating to my topic)
Blue light causes disruption in sleeping patterns.
Blue light causes pain in our back and neck and affects our sleeping patterns.
Blue light and being hunched over on our screens causes us to have neck and back pain which affects our sleep.
Blue light causes neck and back pain, which causes an effect our sleeping patterns.
Blue light does not cause emotional effects.
1. Music therapy results in an improved mindset.
2. Music therapy results in an increase of skills and a lessening of anxiety.
3. music therapy and talk therapy can increase social skills.
4. Music therapy causes less stress, which reduces anxiety.
5. Music therapy does not cause anxiety
Single Cause with a Single Effect (X causes Y) Musicality aides in cognitive development and growth in children and adolescents
Single Cause with Several Effects (X causes Y and Z) Musicality aides in cognitive development and academic achievement.
Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z) Music Education and developing an aptitude for music promotes cognitive function
A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z) Musicality promotes cognitive function, which aides in academic achievement
Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y) Music Education is not merely a waste of time and funding
1. Tax Loopholes cause economic issues.
2. The IRS’s lack of funding causes a lack of funding and an effective workforce capable of doing its job.
3. The wealthy’s grip on Congress and the current ineffectiveness of the IRS allows the rich to have a monopoly on tax loopholes.
4. Tax Loopholes result in a loss of revenue, which causes the middle class to feel the pinch.
5. Growth of the IRS does not cause the average law-abiding taxpayer to pay more.
1. Olympic judges have biased toward certain gymnasts resulting in unfair scores.
2. Gender stereotypes cause unfair rules and regulations in the olympics.
3. Different body types and different events cause unfair competition in gymnastics.
4. I am unsure.
5. Different events in gymnastics for men and women do not benefit them gender wise.
1. Chevy transmissions leak fluid causing them to seize up over time
2. Chevy transmissions leak fluid causing them to seize up and requiring the owner to spend more money
3. The transmission leaks fluid causing it to break causing the owner to spend more money
4. The transmission leaking fluid causes it to seize which causes the owner to spend more money
5. All Chevy transmissions leak fluid causing chevy owners to be less wealthy
Single cause with single effect – the beauty industry causes insecurity
– single cause with several effects – cosmetic marketers and the use of photoshop in their advertisements cause their target audience to become more insecure
Several causes with one single effect- the beauty industry causing its consumers to be insecure about their appearance as well as creating unrealistic standards in turn causes its consumers to purchase more products
A casual chain- beauty marketers photoshop their advertisements which in turn causes their consumers to become more insecure, because of this they want to purchase more products
Causation fallacy – photoshop does not cause more sales of cosmetic products
1. Changing the overtime rules makes the game better.
2.Changing the overtime rules results in making the game better and more success from other teams.
3. Changing the rules and success result in more competitive competitions in overtime.
4.Not changing the rules would put the NFL in a disadvantage at not having competitive games.
5. Changing the rule does not lead to successful competition.
1. Play therapy helps patients with anxiety( X causes Y)
2. Isolation in nursing homes cause several health issues in a patient (X causes Y and Z)
3. How do you explain doll therapy helping patients in a nursing home(Both X and Y cause Z)
4. Doll therapy can help patients with mental health, as well as becoming more social (x causes y, which causes z)
5. Nursing homes do not cause depression (X does not cause Y)
A 17 year old french boy created braille.
We actually learned how to read braille
The red bumps on the ground is actually braille for your feet they are called tactile paving
Ask for feedback for your causal argument,
And if you are not rewriting then you are not receiving the grade you want
It is important when writing a causal argument to keep out the ethical judgements and just figure out if it was true
All you’re trying to do with your causal argument is say that x causes y and z
A causal chain exists in certain stances,
Crafting a hypothesis that is a proposal
Causation Fallacy is x does not cause y to disprove common knowledge arguments
1. Practicing meditation improves focus in basketball players.
2. Improved focus through meditation causes better shooting, passing, and dribbling.
3. Improved focus and attitude lead to a better team.
4. Meditation improves attitude, which allows for improved collaboration.
5. Meditation is not a waste of time in athletes.
1. Practicing meditation improves focus in basketball players.
2. Improved focus through meditation causes better shooting, passing, and dribbling.
3. Improved focus and attitude lead to a better team.
4. Meditation improves attitude, which allows for improved collaboration.
5. Meditation is not a waste of time for athletes.
1) Being on social media can increase bullying
2) Being on social media can improve social interaction and or increase social anxiety
3) Being on social media instead of sleeping can cause insomnia/tiredness
4) Being on social media can increase bullying, which can harm our mental health
5) Being on social media does not free up more time for other activities.
1 -The lack of education given to consumers from the FDA and manufactories’ on the side effects of cosmetics causes a lack of transparency regarding consumers’ unregulated products.
2 – Lack of interest in the ingredient list of cosmetic products and the lack of regulations by the FDA causes consumers to experience allergic reactions and long-term diseases from cosmetics.
3 – Lack of testing cosmetic ingredients and limited regulations put in place by the FDA is not keeping consumers safe causing the cosmetics industry to gain power and release harmful products onto the market.
4 – Consumers’ trust in the FDA causes there to be a lack of interest in ingredients used in their favorite cosmetic products which cause negative side effects to accumulate over time.
5 – The limited amount of cosmetics ingredients that have been tested does not cause misinformation to be labeled on products but rather identifies any ingredients that may cause irritation or allergic reactions.
1. Careless doctors are prescribing too much medication which is leading to overdoses.
2. Pharmaceutical companies are overdelivering medications to places sometimes which is causing drug dealers to gain more access to them and doctors with way more than they need.
3. Drug dealers getting access to drugs is causing more crime when people start fighting for it (drug wars) and also people overdosing on these medications.
4. Pharmaceutical companies are not exercising checks and balances when delivering to some hospitals which causes doctors to have more medication than they need and the ability to oversell them which is causing them to do so from carelessness or greed.
5. Pharmacists are just dispensing the drugs that the doctors prescribed, so they are not responsible for the overdoses.
(drugs – any strong medication such as oxycontin, Percocet’s, etc. )
School causes poor mental health
Schools cause poor mental health and lead students to turn to drugs
Both the student and the school cause poor mental health
Schools cause poor mental health which causes students to turn to drugs
Students don’t cause their own mental health problems
Crazy broad, but solid.
Single Cause with a Single Effect (X causes Y): Streaming of games and events causes an increase in pay for WNBA athletes.
Single Cause with Several Effects (X causes Y and Z): Streaming of games and events causes an increase in pay for WNBA athletes, as well as causes an increase in attention to the game.
Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z): Streaming and an increase in marketing causes a pay increase for WNBA athletes.
A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z): A jump in streaming availability increases the chances for marketing, providing the WNBA athletes with an increase in pay.
Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y): Streaming availability does not increase the pay of WNBA athletes.
Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z): Streaming and an increase in marketing causes a pay increase for WNBA athletes.
—This appears to leave out a step or two.
A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z): A jump in streaming availability increases the chances for marketing, providing the WNBA athletes with an increase in pay.
—And That’s one of the steps it leaves out.
Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y): Streaming availability does not increase the pay of WNBA athletes.
—Not sure which side of this one you intend to be on, Holly.
1. Obesity causes more expensive healthcare.
2. Obesity causes reduced productivity and reduced life span.
3. Fast food industry’s popularity and the food’s high demand causes stress in food production
4. Fast food causes obesity which causes higher living expense
5. The high-level production of meat does not help the environment.
3. Fast food industry’s popularity and the food’s high demand causes stress in food production
—Popularity and high demand sound like the same thing.
4. Fast food causes obesity which causes higher living expense
—Living expense is a bit vague.
5. The high-level production of meat does not help the environment.
—Since nobody claims meat production helps the environment, this is a wasted argument.
1. Playing football on artificial turf causes more knee injuries
2. Playing football on artificial turf causes more knee injuries and more expenses to treating these injuries
3. Playing football on artificial turf causes more knee injuries and creates shorter careers in players due to these knee injuries
4. Allowing NFL players to play on artificial turf causes more knee injuries which creates shorter careers in players
5. NFL players do not create their own knee injuries playing on artificial turf
I guess you can use the same argument twice with a slight rephrasing.
3. Playing football on artificial turf causes more knee injuries and creates shorter careers in players due to these knee injuries
4. Allowing NFL players to play on artificial turf causes more knee injuries which creates shorter careers in players
1. Single Cause with a Single Effect (X causes Y)-
Lack of gun control causes an increase homicides.
2. Single Cause with Several Effects (X causes Y and Z)-
Lack of gun control causes an increase in homicides and gang related crimes.
3. Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z)-
Both lack of gun control and the increasing homicide rate leads to more gang related crimes.
4. A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z)-
Lack of gun control causes increasing homicide rates, which leads to more gang related crimes.
5. Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y)-
Lack of gun control does not lead to more gang related crimes.
3. Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z)-
Both lack of gun control and the increasing homicide rate leads to more gang related crimes.
—This doesn’t actually work, Pink. The “increasing homicide rate” means there are more murders, which are obviously crimes. To say that “more crimes” leads to “more gang-related crimes” is not causal. It’s just saying A equals A.
4. A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z)-
Lack of gun control causes increasing homicide rates, which leads to more gang related crimes.
—This doesn’t actually work, Pink. The “increasing homicide rate” means there are more murders, which are obviously crimes. To say that “more crimes” leads to “more gang-related crimes” is not causal. It’s just saying A equals A.
5. Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y)-
Lack of gun control does not lead to more gang related crimes.
—It’s not clear which side of this argument you mean to be on, Pink. I believe your position is the opposite. “Lack of gun control” definitely DOES “lead to more crime.” You need to find a Causation Fallacy that DOESN’T work. For example, the claim that “We need a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun.”
1. Prisons make released citizens worse people.
2. Prisons make released citizens worse people and factor into high recidivism rates.
3. Prisons and the lack of governmental support for recently released citizens cause higher recidivism rates
4. Being in the prison system destroys the life of a citizen, which will often lead them back to a life of crime.
5. Prison rehabilitation services do not have an effect on recidivism rates that would make them worth the resources
1. Prisons make released citizens worse people.
2. Prisons make released citizens worse people and factor into high recidivism rates.
—Phrasing issue on these two. Sounds as if you mean prisons affect citizens after release, when clearly you mean “Bad people go into prison; worse ones come out.”
3. Prisons and the lack of governmental support for recently released citizens cause higher recidivism rates.
4. Being in the prison system destroys the life of a citizen, which will often lead them back to a life of crime.
—Very nice, both.
5. Prison rehabilitation services do not have an effect on recidivism rates that would make them worth the resources.
—”Have an effect” is always too vague to be useful. Clearly you mean they don’t REDUCE recidivism, but you still have to say it.
1. X causes Y: Different uniforms by gender causes an unlevel playing field.
2. X causes Y and Z: Different uniforms by gender causes objectification and infantilization of women.
3. Both X and Y cause Z: Both the objectification of women and the high demand of beauty standards causes sexist uniforms.
4. X causes Y which causes Z: Difference in uniforms causes emphasis on the body which causes sexism.
5. X does not cause Y: Skimpy or tight uniforms themselves are not causing sexism against women.
1. X causes Y: Different uniforms by gender causes an unlevel playing field.
—The metaphor works against you. We are asked to imagine different genders sharing a playing field. Not what you meant.
2. X causes Y and Z: Different uniforms by gender causes objectification and infantilization of women.
—Here it’s not the “different”-ness of the uniforms that creates objectification, is it? It’s the uniform style, not its differentiation from the male style. Or am I wrong about that?
3. Both X and Y cause Z: Both the objectification of women and the high demand of beauty standards causes sexist uniforms.
—I notice in your most recent draft you place a bit of that onus on the athletes themselves wanting to attract the “male gaze.”
4. X causes Y which causes Z: Difference in uniforms causes emphasis on the body which causes sexism.
—Well, CAUSES sexism is a little much. Maybe you have it backwards. Sexism causes over-attention to the female body, which causes differences in uniforms.
5. X does not cause Y: Skimpy or tight uniforms themselves are not causing sexism against women.
—Exactly. Uniforms don’t cause sexism. Sexism causes body-emphasizing (or body-obscuring) uniforms. Either way, the female body has too much influence on uniform design.
1) The practice of music is a byproduct of the evolution of language as well as a cultural practice.
2) The evolution of humans to develop language is the cause for our interest, enjoyment and performance of music, as well as its cultural importance.
3) The evolution to develop language, necessity for social interaction and academic conversation of music and the monetary value associated are the reasons for the continued practice of music by humans.
4) Evolution of the human brain led to the development of language, which led to the practice and cultural importance of music.
5) Neither culture or human evolution are, on their own, the reason for music to be practiced.
1) The practice of music is a byproduct of the evolution of language as well as a cultural practice.
—I hope your paper will be as thought-provoking as this little gem.
2) The evolution of humans to develop language is the cause for our interest, enjoyment and performance of music, as well as its cultural importance.
—Nice.
3) The evolution to develop language, necessity for social interaction and academic conversation of music and the monetary value associated are the reasons for the continued practice of music by humans.
—The list is not solid. One is responsible for music’s ancient eminence. One reflects a continuing social need. One is CAUSED BY the continuing practice of music, not the other way around. And the last, while clearly a reason humans continue to make music, feels crass and out of place.
1. Eating meals for frequently causes weight loss
2. Eating meals more frequently reduce risk of obesity and better metabolic health
Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z)
3. Better overall metabolic health and reduced risk of obesity can lead to increased energy levels throughout the day
4. Eating more frequent meals helps to reduce obesity risk, which can lead to better overall metabolic health
5. Eating meals more frequently will not help you lose weight if you do not make them balanced, healthy meals.
2. Eating meals more frequently reduce risk of obesity and better metabolic health.
—Grammar Notes: Eating REDUCES with an S. And your sentence says: “Eating more frequently reduces better metabolic health.”
3. Better overall metabolic health and reduced risk of obesity can lead to increased energy levels throughout the day.
—Almost. “Reduced Obesity” in the population could INCREASE energy levels in the population. But a “Reduced RISK” of obesity leads to nothing necessarily, not even reduced obesity.
5. Eating meals more frequently will not help you lose weight if you do not make them balanced, healthy meals.
—Clever. Your best.
1. Single Cause single result: Pursuing harder coursework in higher education initiatives can cause the development of unhealthy coping strategies in teenagers.
2. Single cause many effects: Students who take Dual Enrollment courses at a college while in high school will have less time to do a variety of essential things.
3. Many causes for a single result: There are many individuals who wrongly influence students to take AP and Dual Enrollment courses.
4. A Causal Claim: Gifted students aren’t noticed in Dual Enrollment and AP courses because their grades don’t reflect their mental and physical struggles which cause their struggles to worsen.
5. Causation Fallacy: AP and Dual Enrollment courses which focus on the grades and academic standing of a student alone can not make programs beneficial for the student’s overall well-being.
1. Single Cause single result: Pursuing harder coursework in higher education initiatives can cause the development of unhealthy coping strategies in teenagers.
2. Single cause many effects: Students who take Dual Enrollment courses at a college while in high school will have less time to do a variety of essential things.
3. Many causes for a single result: There are many individuals who wrongly influence students to take AP and Dual Enrollment courses.
4. A Causal Claim: Gifted students aren’t noticed in Dual Enrollment and AP courses because their grades don’t reflect their mental and physical struggles which cause their struggles to worsen.
5. Causation Fallacy: AP and Dual Enrollment courses which focus on the grades and academic standing of a student alone can not make programs beneficial for the student’s overall well-being.
1. Negativity in the fitness industry causes lower self-esteem.
2. Steroid use as a teen can cause multiple health issues later in life.
3. The combination of false advertisement and dishonesty in the fitness industry leads to people becoming obsessed with obtaining impossible results.
4. Forcing fitness influencers to be honest and responsible can lead to young teens keeping themselves out of harms way.
5. Negative environments created by fitness influencers don’t always cause physical or mental health issues in young teens.
1. Negativity in the fitness industry causes lower self-esteem.
—Vague, which is never good. What’s “negativity”?
3. The combination of false advertisement and dishonesty
—These aren’t two things. False advertisement IS dishonesty.
4. Forcing fitness influencers to be honest and responsible can lead to young teens keeping themselves out of harms way.
—That may be too much. Responsible influence can PREVENT teens being led into danger, maybe.
5. Negative environments created by fitness influencers don’t always cause physical or mental health issues in young teens.
—True, but would you want to emphasize the times your villain DOESN’T do harm?
1. The behavior of plants shows signs of empathy.
2. The root connections of plants causes both an increase in survival and a reliance on one another.
3. The root connections of plants and distress signals show empathetic behavior.
4. Plants use root connections to survive and, in turn, develop sharing behavior.
5. Humans and animals have less behavioral signs of empathy than plants.
1. The behavior of plants shows signs of empathy.
—I don’t see that as causal. How plants act causes keen observers to consider them empathetic, but . . . .
2. The root connections of plants causes both an increase in survival and a reliance on one another.
—I don’t think so. Connectivity might improve survival, but it doesn’t create reliance UNLESS YOU MEAN the fact that plants survive without needing to be independent reduces the chance that a mutation that would promote independence would thrive better than status quo plants and replace them.
3. The root connections of plants and distress signals show empathetic behavior.
4. Plants use root connections to survive and, in turn, develop sharing behavior.
—Both deeply intriguing and causally arguable, far from proven, but can be made plausible.
5. Humans and animals have less behavioral signs of empathy than plants.
—You’ve misunderstood the point of this one. Nobody would argue that plants obviously show MORE empathy than animals. But what FLAWED CAUSAL argument would you want to refute? For example, “Without a brain or a least a central nervous system, no organism can possibly exhibit empathy, which requires a conscious awareness and care for other organisms”?
Single Cause with a Single Effect (X causes Y):
Traumatic brain injuries cause damage to the amygdala.
Single Cause with Several Effects (X causes Y and Z):
Damage to the amygdala causes lack of empathy and increased violent behavior.
Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z):
Abuse as a child, traumatic brain injuries, and mental illness cause one to become a serial killer.
A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z):
Traumatic Brain injury causes amygdala damage which causes antisocial personality disorder.
Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y):
Abuse as a child does not single-handedly cause one to commit serial killings.
Traumatic brain injuries cause damage to the amygdala.
—Sounds like A=A to me. Don’t you mean Severe Head Injury causes Damage to the Amygdala?
Traumatic Brain injury causes amygdala damage which causes antisocial personality disorder.
—Better
Abuse as a child does not single-handedly cause one to commit serial killings.
—Well, it might, in one person who didn’t suffer other traumas. What you mean is that Abuse as a child is not the only possible cause.
1. Fighting in hockey causes the game to be safer.
2. Fighting in hockey causes players to be wary of their actions and slows the game down.
3. Both fighting and slowing a hockey game down lead to less player injuries.
4. Fighting in hockey causes players to think before they act therefore making the game safer.
5. Fighting in hockey does not lead to injuries.
These are all good, GoBirds.
The last one is not quite precise. Fighting obviously can lead to injuries. You mean something a little different.
1. The competitive nature of video games causes addictive behaviors.
2. The competitive nature of video games causes addictive behaviors and its players investing time and energy perfecting their skills.
3. A player investing time and energy and the nature of the game itself leads the addictive behaviors of his players.
4. The competitive nature of video games causes its players to invest more time and energy into perfecting their skills, which in turn enables their addictive behaviors.
5. The competitive nature of video games does not cause addictive behaviors.
They’re all reasonable, Mercy, but not persuasive. The terms are too squishy. The competitive nature of the games, the nature of the game itself, addictive behaviors. They’re all so vague it’s hard to say when they’ve been proved.
1. Doctors who overprescribe lead to drug addicted patients.
2. Patients who get hooked to prescription turn to drug dealers when their refills run out.
3. Pharmaceutical companies are dispensing drugs prescribed by doctors without question; they hold no responsibility for those who overdose.
4. People trust their Doctors to make them feel better, when Doctors overprescribe drugs like opioids people do not see the negative side because of this trust; this leads to overdoses and families homes being destroyed.
5. Drug addicts are the result of doctor overprescription.
These make sense, but they don’t all follow the XY patterns, Juice.
3. Is supposed to be X and Y cause Z.
4. Is your best.
5. I don’t see how this qualifies as a Causal Fallacy.
1. Steroid use causes increased performance in MLB players.
2. Steroid use causes high performance in MLB players and the creation of drug testing policies.
3. Steroid use and the lack of strict drug testing policies led to the creation of MLB’s drug testing policies.
4. Steroid use led to a substantial performance increase in MLB players, which led to the creation of MLB’s drug test policies.
5. Steroid use doesn’t cause a substantial increase in performance in MLB players.
Given where you started, I expected 5 to be Steroid Use does not lead to world championships for teams of users.
1. The lack of education on soft skills causes less students to be properly ready for work.
2. The lack of education on soft skills leads to students becoming less prepared for real jobs, and creates less job opportunities for students who may not be able to afford higher education.
3. The lack of education of soft skills and high cost of higher education leads to students being ill-prepared for jobs after graduating.
4. Lack of education in high school on soft skills leaves students ill-prepared for the job market, forcing them to resort to attending the expensive option of college
5. Soft skills not being taught in school does not have a substantial influence on freshly graduated students looking in the job market.
Fair enough, Anon.
Grammar Note: We can count opportunities, so . . .
1. The lack of education on soft skills causes FEWER students to be properly ready for work.
2. The lack of education on soft skills leads to students becoming less prepared for real jobs, and creates FEWER job opportunities for students who may not be able to afford higher education.