Cause and Effect Analysis

What is Cause and Effect Analysis

From the time children begin to talk, they

exhibit a natural curiosity about the

world by asking questions.

Such questioning is among the most

common of human activities.

Cause and effect analysis is a way of

discovering important relationships

between events and circumstances.

What is Cause and Effect Analysis?

Whenever a question asks why, answering

it will require discovering a cause or

series of causes for a particular effect.

◦ Why do people cheat?

◦ Why are babies born?

◦ Why are their homeless and hungry people in

America?

◦ Why can’t we find a cure for cancer?

What is Cause and Effect Analysis?

Whenever a question asks what if, its

answer will point out the effect or effects

that can result from a particular cause.

◦ What if grades were abolished in high school?

◦ What if the stock market crashed again?

◦ What would happen if drunk drivers were

given mandatory jail sentences?

◦ What would happen if drugs were legalized?

What is Cause and Effect Analysis?

You will have frequent opportunities to

use cause and effect analysis in the writing

you do in college.

While the ultimate purpose of cause and

effect analysis may seem simple – to know

or to understand – determining causes and

effects is often a thought-provoking and

complex strategy.

For a few reasons…

What is Cause and Effect Analysis?

Some causes are obvious…

◦ Immediate causes are readily apparent

because they are closest in time to the

effect.

A flood may be the result of the collapse of a

dam.

What is Cause and Effect Analysis?

Some causes are less obvious than others.

◦ Remote causes may be just as important,

even though they are not so apparent and

perhaps even hidden.

An engineering error, substandard building

materials, or a personnel failure may have resulted

in the failure of the dam.

What is Cause and Effect Analysis?It may be necessary to trace a causal chain – an initial cause

may bring about a particular effect, which in turn becomes the immediate cause of a further effect, and so on down to the effect that you are concerned with.

◦ While taking a difficult Chemistry class, a student takes notes diligently. (initial cause)

◦ Her study of those notes led her to getting an A on the tests (effect A)

◦ Which led to a good grade for the semester (effect B)

◦ Which led to a higher GPA (effect C)

◦ Which resulted in increased scholarship offers from the university of her choice (effect D)

Her good grades are the most immediate and most obvious cause of her scholarship offers; but it is possible to trace the chain back to its more essential cause, her hard work each day in class.

What is Cause and Effect Analysis?

A second reason for the complexity of this

strategy is the difficulty distinguishing

between the possible and actual causes,

as well as between possible and actual

effects.

◦ An upset stomach may be caused by spoiled

food; but it may also be caused by

overeating, by flu, by nervousness, by

pregnancy, or by a combination of factors.

Why Do Writers Use Cause and

Effect Analysis? Writers may use cause and effect analysis

for three essential purposes:

◦ To inform

◦ To speculate

◦ To argue

Why Do Writers Use Cause and

Effect Analysis? To Inform:

◦ A biology essay may inform about the effects

severe winter weather has had on deer

populations.

◦ A political science essay my inform the reader

of the reasons changes were made to the

Social Security system.

◦ A women’s studies essay may inform why

women, as they grow older, are more

interested in the women’s rights movement.

Why Do Writers Use Cause and

Effect Analysis? To Speculate (to consider what might

be or what might have been):

◦ An economics essay might discuss the impact a raise in gas prices will have on a given company’s budget.

◦ A pop culture essay might speculate about the reasons for a new singer’s rise in popularity.

◦ A political science essay might evaluate how the Obama presidency will continue to influence American government over the remainder of the 21st century.

Why Do Writers Use Cause and

Effect Analysis? To Argue:

◦ A persuasive essay may argue the effects of curtailing extracurricular activities in tough economic times far outweigh the potential savings.

◦ Or that bringing a professional basketball team into the area would have many positive effects on the local economy and on the community as a whole.

◦ Or that video games are a cause of delinquency and poor school performance.

What to Look for in Reading a

Cause and Effect Analysis First, determine whether the author is

more interested in the causes of the

action, event, or object under discussion.

Then, consider how reasonable, effective,

and helpful the author’s analysis actually

seems to be.

◦ What does the author do, and how does he

do it?

What to Look for in Reading a

Cause and Effect Analysis Common uses:

◦ To describe an important event or problem

(effect) and then to examine the possible

reasons (causes for it).

◦ To identify the particular causal agent or

circumstance and then discuss the

consequences or effects it had (or may have).

◦ To explore a complex causal chain.

Samples

Observe remote effects in John Brooks’

The Telephone (page 409)

Observe a causal chain in Barry

Commoner’s The Politics of Energy

Read the student sample “Gentrification”

on page 413

◦ Questions for Discussion: page 416

This Week’s Assignments

Reading Assignments◦ For Tuesday: “iPod World: The End of Society”

(page 432)

◦ For Wednesday: “The Great Kern County Mouse War” (page 446)

◦ For Thursday: “The Real Computer Virus” (page 437) BE SURE YOU HAVE A HARD COPY OF YOUR

ANSWERS FOR “QUESTIONS ON STRATEGY” TO TURN IN EACH DAY.

For Friday: Have a draft of your Cause and Effect Analysis essay uploaded to Turnitin.com by 12:45pm.

Writing a Cause and Effect Analysis

Begin by selecting a manageable topic.

◦ Consider the amount of information available

to you.

◦ What do you already know?

◦ What can you find out quickly?

Writing a Cause and Effect Analysis

1. Establish Your Focus

Are you writing about…

◦ Various causes of some effect

The myriad of possible causes for a fire

◦ Various effects of the same cause

The myriad of effects the fire has on the family

◦ Both causes and effects

Setting up a causal chain

Writing a Cause and Effect Analysis

2. Determine Your Purpose

Make sure your purpose is clear.

◦ Do you want it to be primarily…

Informative – Reader will say, “I learned something

from this essay; I didn’t know the fire was caused

by faulty wiring.”

Speculative – Reader will say, “That never

occurred to me before; faulty wires are a ticking

time bomb.”

Argumentative – Readers might say, “I have to

agree; fire inspections should occur more

regularly in our neighborhood.”

Writing a Cause and Effect Analysis

3. Avoid Oversimplification and Errors of Logic

Sound and thoughtful reasoning, while present in all good writing, is central to any analysis of cause and effect.

◦ Do not jump to conclusions or let your own prejudices interfere with the logic.

◦ Do not oversimplify by insisting only that “X leads to Y.”

◦ Avoid the “after this, therefore because of this” fallacy.

Writing a Cause and Effect Analysis

4. Strike a Balanced Tone

Be careful not to overstate your position.

◦ Avoid statements like “there can be no question” and “the evidence speaks for itself.”

Be careful not to understate your position.

◦ Avoid qualifying phrases like perhaps, maybe, I think, sometimes, most often, nearly always, or in my opinion.