Peer review please.

[laconicsax]

In response to what I perceived as a large-scale inability to understand that correlation does not mean causation, I designed a test to determine the limits of this flaw in reasoning.

METHODS: The test consisted of an OP posted in Health with a provocative and ridiculous subject. The body of the OP contained references to a non-existent study with blank URL, and described a correlation between medication use and digestion and suggested a causal relationship. Further reading was offered at "poshocergopropter.hoc."

RESULTS: Of the initial responses, most subjects seemed to take the OP as a legitimate study and expressed their opinion of its findings. Very few subjects seemed to notice the fictitious nature of the study and none commented on the obvious logical fallacy.

CONCLUSION: The inability of subjects to properly identify the test material as fictional and uncritically accept its flawed conclusions suggests that critical thinking is largely absent in the general population.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=latest_threads

Reviews please?

[EvolveOrConvolve]

1. I'm not sure it was a valid study

But it was amusing, at the least.

[laconicsax]

2. In the end, isn't that what counts?