Be A Wise Consumer of Information

Abstract

"Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write" (H.G. Wells). While society is more and more filled with quantitative information, not all statements based on numerical results are scientific. Without applying solid logic in reading empirical data, we can be easily fooled by news stories,...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Research Methods

Resource Type(s):

Assignment

Class Level(s):

College 300

Class Size(s):

Any

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Objective 1: To differentiate between correlation and causality.
2. Objective 2: To use careful reasoning in digesting empirical information.
3. Objective 3: To develop an alternative explanation to a simplistic causal statement by incorporating sociological variables.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Assessment 1: How appropriately students can question the plausibility of causality in each of the ten causal statements in a short assignment.
2. Assessment 2: How appropriately students can identify a possible post-hoc fallacy in each of the ten causal statements in a short assignment.
3. Assessment 3: How appropriately students can use a sociological variable to develop a possible logical structure of spurious relationship in each of the ten causal statements in a short assignment.