So in the case of the Eavesdropping on Happiness article, did having more
conversations and less alone time actually lead to higher well-being?
Or was it the other way around?
Did having higher well-being actually lead you to
have more substantive conversations?
Or was there another variable, altogether,
that the authors didn't measure that led to well-being.
Now, the authors did control for some other personality variables captured
through the big five but, certainly not all of them.
So there could have been another variable.
I'm sure you all could think of many that could lead to increased well-being
that this study didn't assess.
And the authors can't account for other factors or
the direction of the effect because there wasn't random assignment to groups.
So this means we should be interpreting these results as correlational not causal.
So how well did the media article do?
Well, in the opening lines of this popular press article the author states that,
new research suggests that less small talk and
more substantive conversation causes increased happiness.
Later he does go on to state that correlation doesn't necessarily prove
causation.
Which was an important observation, but he does use misleading language throughout.
So he uses language like conversation may galvanize a previously unexamined life.
Implying causation.
Now this is one of the most important things to look for
in a popular press article.
As the media will often overstate findings as causal
when the study was only correlational.
Why you might ask?
Well because it certainly makes for a flashier article and better headlines.