HONR 110
Fall 2007

The following exercises will require you to think carefully. Each proposes a causal connection between two related events. Your task is to analyze the information and claims, then decide the following:

1. Increased ice cream sales on the Florida coast leads to an increase in the number of shark attacks on swimmers.

2. Studies show that people who routinely take aspirin suffer from frequent headaches.

3. The following graph shows a clear (and real) relationship between the Dow Jones Industrial Average from 1900 to present (shown as a line) and the maximum number of body parts people have pierced (shown in the bar graph) over the same period. It seems reasonable that to continue the increase in the Dow Jones performance, we should pierce evermore body parts.

4. The following graph shows the actual average SAT score for test takers 2005-2007 controlling for the test taker’s family income. Clearly, the wealthier the student, the higher the SAT score.

5. Of all people who see chiropractors for lower back problems, 70% report some improvement within 90 days. Many patients believe chiropractic manipulation of the spine is more effective at treating lower back problems than are the methods of treatment employed by mainstream medical doctors. For lower back problems, medical doctors typically prescribe drugs – anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers – and, in many cases, surgery. (from S. Carey. 1998. A Beginner’s Guide to Scientific Method. Thomson Publishers.)

6. A little exercise can help older people sleep better, researchers have reported. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study, undertaken by researches at Stanford University, involved 43 sedentary, healthy adults, 50-76 years old, with mild to moderate sleep problems, like taking longer than 25 minutes to fall asleep and averaging only six hours of sleep a night. Half of those in the study participated in 16 weeks of aerobics, with two hour-long low-impact classes and two 40-minute sessions of brisk walking or stationary cycling each week. The other half did nothing. At the end of the study, the subjects who exercised reported that they fell asleep about 15 minutes faster and slept 45 minutes longer than before. Those who did no exercise showed little or no improvement. (from S. Carey. 1998. A Beginner’s Guide to Scientific Method. Thomson Publishers.)