Causal Handouts and Handy Tools
​Key Handouts and Links
Causal Argument Assignment, Guidelines and Ideas
Possible Causal Topics
​Causal Key Terms and Phrases
Wrap Text Around a Photo in Google Docs (Without Ripping Out Your Hair) - NewsCo. Shift - 29 Nov. 2016
Inserting Images, Formatting, and Captioning Images in Google Docs ​- Owner unknown - If you own this                documents, let me know and I'll give you credit!)
Graphic Organizers
Causal Graphic Circles: D is the result of A, B, C 
Causal Graphic Fishbone: D is result of A, B, C (same as above in different format)
Causal Graphic Star: Large version of A causes B, C, D, E, F
Causal Chain: A causes B, which causes C, which causes D
Graphic Organizer A cause B, C causes D, E causes F, etc. (Different from what we've looked at but good)
​​Graphic Organizer: C is a result of A, B and F is a result of D, E, + consequences, etc. (Also different but good)

Sample Causal Arguments - Professional Articles
"Game Over - 15 Dead" - Article referenced in Chapter 12 in textbook
"Why Don't Young People Read the News?" by Tony Rogers

​Background to help Augment Chapter 12 (yellow book)
Causal Argument PPT from Chapter 13 PA (blue book)
​Causal Argument Prezi
Common Fallacies in Causal Reasoning
Post hoc ergo propter hoc
  • This Latin phrase literally means, "after this, therefore because of this).
  • We are guilty of this error of reasoning when we claim that x causes y simply because x precedes y in time.
  • Certainly a cause does preceded the effect, but that does not mean that coincidence alone establishes a causal relationship.
  • If I notice, for example, that every day the church bells across the street chime eight times, the bus arrives and conclude that the church bell ringing causes the bus to arrive, I am guilty of post hoc ergo propter hoc or simply post hoc reasoning.

Ignoring a common cause
  • Sometimes we mistakenly identify one event as the cause of another without recognizing that they both may be the effect of a common cause.
  • If I stay up watching television until one o’clock instead of studying for an exam, and then I do poorly on the exam, I might say that my fatigue caused me to do badly on the exam. In fact there, is a common cause, watching television that caused me to stay up late and to do poorly on the exam.
  • In my example above about post hoc reasoning, I failed to recognize a common cause for both the church bells ringing and bus arriving, namely that it is 8:00.

  • Another famous example of ignoring a common cause occurred when in a town many years ago, someone noted that as the number of Baptist preachers in the town increased, so too did the number of arrests for public drunkeness. 
  • If one concluded from this correlation that Baptist preachers cause an increase in public drunkenness.  
  • The more accurate explanation is probably that both the increase in Baptist preachers and the increase in arrests of public drunkeness had the common cause of the increased population in the town.

Assuming a common cause
  • We can also make errors in causal reasoning when we look too hard for a common cause.
  • Imagine that on my way to work I receive a speeding ticket, and later in the day, I fall and sprain my ankle.
  • When I get home I am informed that I had a check to bounce.
  • Then I remember that I saw a black cat the day before and conclude that it must be true that they bring bad luck.

Reversed causation
  • Another typical error in reasoning about cause and effects is to mistake the cause for the effect and the effect for the cause.
  • For example, if I argue that spending more money on education will improve the economy because after all the countries that spend the most on education have the strongest economies, I may have reversed the cause and effect.
  • It may be that nations with the strongest economies are able to spend more money on education.
  • The ongoing argument about the relationship between violence on television and in movies and violence in society is a good example of possible reversed causation.
  • Some say that the increased violence in the media causes more people to commit violent deeds, while others argue that the increased violence in movies and television is caused by the fact that we are becoming a more violent society.