BLA1173

1. Human sciences are "fuzzy" sciences, but they are still sciences.
In the article on page 308 of the text, "The Effects of Teenaged Employment", there are so many factors to be measured that it makes measuring these effects a little "fuzzy". There are as many factors to consider as there are families. Every family is different and you cannot accurately determine the effects for each. It is a generalization. We have to be careful when making decisions based on what we read.

2. Science requires data.
The following (link) discusses the benefits of red wine. The heading also mentions helping your heart, preventing cancer and more. This article fails to include adequate data to support it's claim. http://www.today.com/id/21478144/ns/today-today_health/t/wine-good-you/#.Ua913JWw10g

3. Science runs on careful criticism.
While reading the article on page 308 of the text, I wondered if I was doing the right thing by having my teen daughter work. I had to look at all of the factors of my own family and do further research. You have to read everything with an open mind, but also research further for yourself.

4. Fight fire with fire, and data with data.
Page 308 of the Lifespan Development text, contains an article titled, "The Effects of Teenaged Employment". More data is needed. Does the socioeconomic status play a role in these outcomes?

5. There's power in precise terms.
The radio station, 88.1 reported the tornado in Oklahoma as "an EF5, the most powerful tornado possible". This is not precise. The EF5 refers to the rank of the tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Although the EF5 is the highest ranking on the scale, does not mean it is the "most powerful tornado possible".

http://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/2013/05/21/what-is-the-enhanced-fujita-scale-for-measuring-tornados/

6. Correlation is not causation.
A child gets fussy after drinking milk and her mother assumes she is allergic to milk. Although the child MAY be allergic to milk, fussiness itself does not mean they are allergic to milk. There may be a correlation, however the child could be teething or something else that causes the fussiness.

7. More of something good isn't always better.
Milk it does a body good! Or does it? The following link has some interesting insights. http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/children-avoiding-cows-milk-may-alleviate-chronic-constipation-in-children.html

8. Beware the plausible, __especially__ if it works.
Yes, some medication for ADD/ADHD have been "proven" to work, however are the side effects worth the risk. The following link list some pretty scary side effects. Couldn't a reasonable argument be made for Biofeedback or diet and exercise with less harmful side effects? http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_medications.htm

9. Where there's smoke, there's smoke.
When my children were much younger, someone called Child Services and reported my husband for child abuse. They came out and investigated and informed us that because my husband probably spanked my child in front of someone, and they don't agree with spanking, it was reported. Yes, we occasionally spanked them, however there was no abuse.

10. Lack of evidence doesn't mean it's false.
In a recent attempt to explain the benefits of home schooling, I was unable to locate evidence to support the claim, by many home school websites, that home schooled, high schoolers score higher on the college SAT.