Cause and Effect Essay
aka causal analysis
Causal Analysis
lAnalyzes
–1. why an event or phenomenon happens
(causes)
–2. what happens because of the event or
phenomenon (its effects)
–3. both causes and effects
Actual essay exams at GCC
lHistory class: Discuss the causes of
lHealth class: Discuss the relationship between diet and
heart disease
Characteristics of Cause and Effect Essay
lA thesis
lA logical organizational plan
lDevelopment of each cause and
effect fully
lMay recognize or dispel
readers’ assumptions about the topic
Multiple Causes and Effects
lSeveral causes may produce a
single effect
You chose GCC (single effect)for a number of reasons,
including the availability of your courses in your major, the cost of tuition,
the reputation of the school, and its distance from your home (multiple causes)
*
lOne cause may have several
effects
Your decision to quit your part-time job (one cause) will
result in more study time, less pressure, and less spending money (multiple
effects)
*
lRelated events or phenomena
may have both multiple causes and multiple effects. For instance, an increase in the number of
police patrolling the street in urban areas along with the formation of citizen
watch groups (multiple causes) will result in less street crime and the growth
of small businesses (multiple effects).
Chain of Events
lIn some cases, a series of
events forms a chain in which each event is both the effect of what happened
before and the cause of the next event.
OR A simple event can produce a chain of consequences.
You cannot find your car keys (cause) so you are late for
class (effect and cause). You miss a
surprise quiz (effect and cause). you’re a quiz average is lowered to a B (effect)
Purpose of causal analysis
lInformative, persuasive or
both
lDeath of a loved one
lSources of the pollution of
the
lExamination of the causes of
academic cheating
Clear Thesis Statement
Identifies the topic, makes an assertion about that topic,
and suggest whether the essay focuses on causes, effects, or both
Causal analysis
lFollows a logical organization
lExplains each cause or effect
fully
–Examples, facts,
descriptions, comparisons, statistics, anecdotes
lMay recognize or dispel
readers’ assumptions
–Capital
punishment not always a deterrent to crime
Causal analysis schemes (#1) Causes and Effects
lIntroduction (Background
information about the even or phenomenon, thesis statement)
lBody Paragraphs
–Cause A Effect
A
–Cause B > Effect
OR Cause > Effect B
–Cause C Effect
C
lConclusion (reminder of thesis
and final statement or tie in to introduction)
Causal Analysis Scheme (#2) Chain of Events
lIntroduction (Background
information about the event or phenomenon, thesis statement)
lBody Paragraphs
lCause A >Effect A becomes Cause B> Effect B becomes Cause
C> Effect C
lConclusion
Causal Analysis Scheme (#3) multiple causes and effects
lIntroduction
lBody Paragraphs:
lArrangement 1 Arrangement 2
Cause A Cause A
Cause B Effect A
Cause C Cause B
Effect A Effect B
Effect B Cause C
Effect C Effect C
Conclusion
Integrating cause and effect into an essay
l1. use transitions to announce shifts to a causal explanation
In writing about your college president’s decision to expand
the
Integration
l2. Keep the causal explanation direct and simple
Focus on the most important causes and effects
not all causes and effects you can think of or have found.
Integration
lEmphasize why particular
points or ideas are important
For example, if you are writing a tip sheet on using a
word-processing program for an audience of beginners, you need to explain why
it is important to save material frequently by warning your readers of the
effects of neglecting to save copy (not a cause and effect essay topic)
Integration
lInclude only causal
relationships you can support and justify.
If you don’t have evidence to support it, it becomes your
opinion and it’s best to omit it.
Causal Analysis
lConsider your purpose,
audience, and point of view
lKeep the length of your essay
in mind
lLevel of technical detail must
be considered
lPoint of view is most often
the third person
lTry to identify primary causes
or effects (most important)
Checking for Hidden Causes and Effects and Errors in
Reasoning
lOnce you identify the primary
and secondary causes and effects, examine them to be sure you have not
overlooked any causes and effects and have avoided common reasoning errors.
Hidden Causes and Effects
lExample, if a child often
reports to the nurse’s office complaining of a stomachache, a parent may reason
that the child has digestive problems.
However, a closer study of the behavior may reveal that the child is
worried about attending a physical education class and that the stomachaches
are the result of stress and anxiety.
lThe PE class is the hidden
cause.
lTo avoid overlooking hidden
causes or effects, be sure to examine a causal relationship closely.
lDo not assume the most obvious
or simplest explanation is the only one.
Mistaking Chronology for Causation
lAvoid the post hoc, ergo
propter hoc (“after this, therefore because of this” fallacy): the assumption that because event B followed
event A in time, A caused B to occur
lFor example, suppose you
decide against having a cup of coffee one morning, and later the same day you
score higher than ever before on a political science exam.
lAlthough one event followed
the other in time, the first event did not necessarily cause the second event
to occur. That is, you cannot assume
that reducing your coffee intake caused the high grade.
Mistaking Chronology for Causation
lTo avoid the post hoc
fallacy, look for evidence that one event did indeed cause the other. Plausible evidence might include testimony
from others who experienced the same sequence of events or documentation
proving a causal relationship between the events.
lFor instance, there are
numerous examples of people who have contracted cancer after smoking cigarettes
for a number of years as well as research documenting the link between
cigarette smoking and cancer.
Mistaking Correlation for Causation
lJust because two events occur
at about the same time does not mean they are causally related.
lFor example, suppose sales of
snow shovels in a city increased at the same time sales of gloves and mittens
increased. The fact that the two events
occurred simultaneously does not mean that snow shoveling causes people to buy
more mittens and gloves.
Mistaking Correlation for Causation
lMost likely, a period of cold,
snowy weather caused the increased sales of these items.
lAgain, remember that evidence
is needed to verify that the two events are related and that a causal relationship
exists.
Unsupported Assumptions
lAssumptions are ideas or
generalizations that you or your readers accept as truths without questioning
their validity.
lFor example, you may assume
that someone you just met is honest or that your new mat instructor treats all
students fairly. Although assumptions
can be true, in many cases people make sweeping generalizations that are untrue
and unfair.
Unsupported Assumptions
lFor instance, it is unfair to
say that senior citizens are unproductive members of society because the
evidence suggests that many seniors continue to work or contribute to their
communities in many ways.
lMany assumptions are based on
stereotypes—unfair generalizations about the characteristics or behaviors of an
entire group or class of people or things.
Gathering Evidence
lA convincing cause and effect
essay does more than merely list causes, effects, or both and avoid errors in
reasoning. Your reader expects a
complete explanation of each primary cause or effect that you include. In order to explain your causes and effects,
you’ll probably use one or more other patterns of development.
Gathering Evidence
lFor example, you may need to
narrate events; present descriptive details about the event, problem, or
phenomena; define important terms; explain processes unfamiliar to the reader;
include examples that illustrate a cause or an effect; or make comparisons to
explain unfamiliar concepts.
Developing Your Thesis
lState the cause and effect
relationship. Do not leave it to your reader to figure out the causal
relationship. In the following examples,
note that the original thesis is weak and vague, whereas the revision clearly
states the causal relationship.
lBreathing paint fumes in a
closed environment can be dangerous.
People suffering from asthma and emphysema are particularly vulnerable.
lBreathing paint fumes in a
closed environment can be dangerous for people suffering from asthma and
emphysema because their lungs are especially sensitive to irritants.
lThe revised thesis makes the
cause and effect connection explicit by using the word because and by
including necessary information about the problem.
Developing Your Thesis
lAvoid overly broad or absolute
assertions.
lThey are difficult or
impossible to support.
lDrugs are the root cause of
inner-city crime.
lDrugs are a major cause of
inner-city crime.
lThe revised thesis
acknowledges drugs as one cause of crime but does not claim that drugs are the
only cause.
Developing Your Thesis
lUse qualifying words. Unless a cause and effect relationship is
well established and accepted, qualify your thesis statement.
lOveremphasizing competitive
sports is harmful to the psychological development of young children.
lOveremphasizing competitive
sports may be harmful to the psychological development of young children.
lChanging the verb from is
to may be qualifies the statement, allowing room for doubt.
Developing Your Thesis
lAvoid an overly assertive or a
dogmatic tone. The tone of your essay,
including your thesis, should be confident but not overbearing. You want your readers to accept your ideas
but not to be put off by an arrogant tone.
lThere is no question that
American youths have changed in response to the culture in which they live.
lSubstantial evidence suggests
that American youths have changed in response to the culture in which they
live.
lThe phrase substantial
evidence suggests creates a less dogmatic tone than There
is no question.
Drafting the Cause and Effect Essay
l1. Provide well-developed explanations. Be sure that you provide sufficient evidence
that the causal relationship exists.
Offer a number of reasons and choose a variety of types of evidence
(examples, statistics, expert opinion, and so on) to demonstrate that you
correctly perceived the relationship between causes and effects. Try to develop each cause or effect into a
detailed paragraph with a clear topic sentence.
Drafting the Cause and Effect Essay
l2. Use strong transitions. Use a transition each time you move from an
explanation of one cause or effect to an explanation of another. When you move from discussing causes to
discussing effects or when you shift to a different pattern of development, use
strong transitional sentences to alert your reader to the shift. Regardless of the organization you follow,
you need to use clear transitions to guide your reader throughout the essay.
Transitional words and phrases that are useful in cause and effect essays include
because, since, as a result, and therefore.
Drafting the Cause and Effect Essay
l3. Avoid overstating causal relationships. When writing about causes and effects, avoid
words and phrases that overstate the causal relationship, such as it is
obvious, without doubt, always, and never. These words and phrases wrongly suggest
that a causal relationship is absolute and without exception. Instead, use words and phrases that qualify,
such as it is possible, it is likely, and most likely.
Drafting the Cause and Effect Essay
l4. Write an effective introduction. Your introduction should identify the topic
and causal relationship as well as draw your reader into the essay.
Drafting the Cause and Effect Essay
l5. Write a satisfying conclusion. Your conclusion may remind readers of your
thesis and should draw your essay to a satisfying close.