Causal Reasoning Micro-Research

Causal Reasoning Micro-Research
For this assignment, you will conduct a Micro-Research project. You will make two (2) original posts on the Discussion Board during the Unit.
Your 1st Post:
You will propose a simple hypothesis and methodology related to your daily life. You should post your hypothesis and methodology as soon as possible after the opening of Unit 5, so that you have time to collect your data and post your results.
Data collection:
Then you will conduct your Micro-Research study and collect your data.
Your 2nd Post:
You will share your data and write a brief analysis and commentary, applying the concepts of causation and correlation, Mill’s Methods, and/or necessary and sufficient causation as discussed in the text and video lectures for this unit. The more of these concepts you correctly employ, the more insightful your analysis will be. You should make your second post as soon as you’ve collected and analyzed your data.

What’s a Micro-Research?
It’s something you should be able to complete relatively quickly, depending on how much time is available for data collection. Begin with a question you’ve been pondering, perhaps something that you want to ascertain about your personal life or work environment. For example, “Why is my bicycle making that creaking sound?” or “Is checking my phone before bed preventing me from falling asleep?” or “Does morning exercise make me feel more alert throughout the day?”
• Pose a question similar to these as your research question.
• Then form a simple hypothesis — that is, a proposed explanation to your research question — and determine what data you might need to collect in order to validate — or invalidate — your hypothesis.
• Collect and systematically record your data.
• Then look at your results and see if you can detect any patterns. Use the concepts from this course to write your analysis, including limitations and possible next steps.

Here is an example: Cool Shower Research
My 1st Post on the Discussion Board:
I noticed that some days I feel really energetic and clear-headed in the mornings but other days I feel kind of lethargic and low-energy. I wonder why. (This is my rationale for the study). A while ago I read online that taking a cool shower in the morning – instead of a hot shower – eases PHIL110 Critical Thinking – SPS CUNY stress and increases focus and alertness. (Here I provide some background) For this MicroResearch I want to experiment if taking a cool shower makes me feel more energetic in the mornings. (Hypothesis) In order to show this, I will take a cool shower for several days in a row and on those days I will record my energy level from ‘High to Low’. I will set an alarm for myself at 10 am on those days and record how I feel. What I anticipate is that on the Cool Shower days I will see my energy level in the ‘High’ category.

Then I collected my data for 4 days

My 2nd Post on the Discussion Board:
Here is my data chart and analysis for my Cool Shower Micro-Research:
Days
Shower Temperature
Energy Level at 10 am High/Medium/Low

Day 1 Cool High

Day 2 Cool High

Day 3 Cool Medium

Day 4 Cool High

Analysis: I noticed that on all four of the cool shower days my energy level was High or Medium. On most days (3 out of 4), I had high energy. On only one day did I have medium energy. That confirms my expectation … (here I summarize what my data shows me, what I see). However, there might be other variables that influence my focus and energy levels in the morning. For example, sometimes I meditate in the morning and other days I don’t; some days I drink coffee, but not every day; and some days I get a good night’s sleep, while other days I don’t. Also, I should continue this experiment for more than just four days and compare my energy level on Cold, Cool, Warm and Hot shower days, as well. In addition, I should ask some friends and family members to participate in my research, and we would need to agree on the definitions of “high,” “medium,” and “low” energy. (Here I provide some contextual background and list the limitations.)

Conclusion: Overall, a cool shower is at most a probable explanation for higher energy and focus level in the morning. The phenomena might be positively correlated, but I can’t claim they are causally related, because according to our text/lecture… (here I would reference course materials to draw a conclusion, applying necessary/sufficient conditions, and/or Mill’s Methods, if they were relevant).

Personal Comments: I had fun experimenting with taking a cool morning shower. Even though the result is inconclusive, a cool shower was refreshing and energizing, and I will definitely continue this morning routine in the future… (My personal experience)