Why Do Vitamins Cause Crime

Although many of us studying behavior want to accept the hypothesis; taking vitamins causes crime, there are many possible factors we need to consider before confirming the hypothesis to be true. By avoiding the “correlation versus causation fallacy,” illustrated in the textbook, the newspaper article lacks sufficient evidence to conclude vitamins as a cause to the increase in crime reports. By conducting an experimental design, researchers can test if there’s any correlation between the two variables. With that said, the title of the article is incorrect because it infers a causal association between vitamins and crime. While “Vitamins Cause Crime,” is a captivating headline, the connection between Vitamins and Crime has little evidence of proof behind such statement. Although it’s plausible that taking vitamins causes an increase in crime, it’s also possible that the increase in crime is
By calling every 100th person listed in the phone book and asking if they are willing to participate in the study, researchers can ensure the experimental group is random. Once 100 participants agree to partake in the study, half of the subjects would be assigned to take vitamins. The other half of the group would take a placebo vitamin and represent the controlled group. Neither groups will know which supplement they received as a way to determine if the independent variable; vitamins, causes crime. The study would be conducted for two days with the same participants. At the end of each day, the results of crime reported would be analyzed and compared to the people taking vitamins. If there is a correlation between vitamin consumption and crime from the past two days, meaning crime increased on both days, researchers can conclude that the hypothesis is