ASSIGNMENT- ANALYZE AND EVALUATE ARGUMENTS Identify a question about something t
ID: 3453509 • Letter: A
Question
ASSIGNMENT- ANALYZE AND EVALUATE ARGUMENTS
Identify a question about something that happens in nature (e.g., our world, universe, etc.) that you would like to understand better. As an example (please do not use this example in your discussion), a person might consider the use and benefit of vitamin supplements. One school of thought indicates that such supplements are increasingly important for maintaining a healthy diet, while the other school of thought indicates that by taking such supplements, you are doing little more than turning your urine yellow.
What reasoning do you think is behind the phenomenon you have identified? Write a hypothesis that represents your belief about why the phenomenon occurs. Write a second hypothesis that might also be used to explain the same phenomenon but with a different cause.
For example, using vitamin supplements, one might consider:
If vitamins are beneficial, then individuals who regularly take vitamin supplements will live longer.
If vitamin supplements are not beneficial, then individuals who regularly take vitamin supplements will not show a difference in how long they live compared to those who regularly take vitamin supplements.
(Keep in mind here, the example hypotheses make the assumption that vitamin supplements correspond to a longer life. This may or may not be accurate and should be further evaluated and refined accordingly. For example, perhaps vitamin supplements do not help you to live longer, but reduce the overall number of illnesses/diseases one experiences during his/her lifetime.)
Explanation / Answer
Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.
(Answer) Hypothesis (Side A) – The internet has made children of the present generation cleverer because it is a resourceful domain of information.
Methodology – Correlation. Considering that libraries are online and so are most of the world’s encyclopedias, children have extensive information at their fingertips. Children these days are able to collect not just trivial knowledge but also view experiences and lives of people who live on the other side of the globe from them. No longer does a person living in China, have to assume that life in America is probably like what they see on the television show “Happy Days.” Interactive social media accounts like “Human of NY” would enable them to sharpen their comprehension by reading about different perspectives.
Furthermore, the news, scientific articles and even editorial sections from professionals are easily available online. This would be a reason to assume that the current generation has more to absorb than any other generation of the past.
Rebuttal – Confounding variable. One could assume that the children these days are able to have better cognition because of proper disease control and fewer famines and wars. Children who grew up between the 17th and 20th century had to deal with poor vaccination facilities, outbreaks, wars, famines and other atrocities. All this left a child with no time and poor health. Improving cognitive abilities would hardly be a priority at a time like that.
Hypothesis (Side B) – The internet has caused children of this generation to have a short attention span because of a précis representation of glossy information and entertainment.
Methodology – Correlation. Previously, if a prominent public figure would be involved in a scandal, an individual would have to read about it in a news article. This article would be about 300 words long on an average and probably explained well, the details of the situation. This left little chance for misinformation, assumptions and even resolutely taking sides without considering the nuanced details of a situation. However, in this fast-paced age, heavy information has been reduced to 140 characters, Soundbites on YouTube and a list on BuzzFeed. This has led to the generation being reduced to reading catchy and click-bait headlines without worrying about gathering the details of a situation.
Rebuttal – Confounding variable. It could be that in an age where information is easily reported and where there is so much information, there is a competition to be heard. This has led to the new generation having their own rendition of “yellow journalism.” This is as we know, ostensible intellect at best.