Evaluate the reasoning in the following four arguments. Pair each argument with the statement that most accurately describes the specific causal fallacy it commits.
- Data from coastal resorts indicates that weeks with the highest ice cream sales invariably experience the most shark sightings. Consequently, the local council determined that shark sightings induce psychological stress that tourists attempt to alleviate by consuming more ice cream.Fails to consider that two phenomena that occur together may both be the independent effects of a common underlying cause.
- Urban records reveal that historical districts with dense concentrations of coffee shops experience exceptionally high pedestrian traffic. City planners have therefore concluded that the establishment of new coffee shops is the primary driver generating this increased pedestrian traffic.Overlooks the possibility that the purported cause of a phenomenon is actually the effect of that phenomenon.
- Over the past two decades, the global sale of printed encyclopedias has declined at exactly the same rate as the number of active landline telephones. This undeniable statistical alignment demonstrates that the shift away from landline communication directly decreases the desire to read physical books.Inappropriately infers a causal connection between two independent phenomena that merely exhibit parallel trajectories over a given time period.
- An office study revealed that employees who volunteered to use standing desks report significantly higher daily productivity than their seated colleagues. Management concluded that replacing all seated desks with standing desks will inherently boost the productivity of the entire workforce.Fails to address the possibility that a correlation observed within a specific group is the result of self-selection by the members of that group.
Answer
The coastal resort argument matches the 'common underlying cause' flaw; the coffee shop argument matches the 'effect mistaken for cause' flaw; the encyclopedia argument matches the 'parallel trajectories' flaw; and the standing desk argument matches the 'self-selection' flaw.
Each argument represents a distinct variation of the correlation-to-causation error. The coastal resort argument illustrates a third-variable flaw (weather causes both). The historical district argument illustrates reverse causation (traffic causes shops). The encyclopedia argument illustrates coincidental alignment (both are victims of the broader digital age, not each other). The office study argument illustrates selection bias (productive people choose standing desks).
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Variations of the Correlation vs. Causation Fallacy