Argument Analysis Worksheet

ARGUMENT ANALYSIS WORSHEET

Use this worksheet, your understanding of critical thinking, and the structure of an argument to analyze the Grohol article titled “The Debilitating Effects of TV on Children”.

APA Citation:
Grohol, J. (2009, September, 9.). The debilitating effects of TV on children [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/09/27/the-debilitating-effects-of-tv-on-children/
The main purpose of this article is . . . [State as accurately as possible the author’s purpose for writing the article. What is the author’s position?
Grohol’s main purpose in this article is to

The main arguments that the author is making are . . . [Determine the main arguments the author makes to support their position]

The evidence or facts the author uses in this article to support their arguments are. . . [Identify the facts, data, or resources the author uses to support his/her argument.

Countless studies have documented the inverse link between devotion to the boob tube and achievement in school. Researchers at Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons concluded in 2007, for example, that 14-year-olds who watched one or more hours of television daily “were at elevated risk for poor homework completion, negative attitudes toward school, poor grades, and long-term academic failure.’’ Those who watched three or more hours a day were at even greater risk for “subsequent attention and learning difficulties,’’ and were the least likely to go to college.
In 2005, a study published in the American Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that the harm caused by TV watching shows up even after correcting the data to account for students’ intelligence, family conditions, and prior behavioral problems. The bottom line: “Increased time spent watching television during childhood and adolescence was associated with a lower level of educational attainment by early adulthood.’’
The baleful effects of TV aren’t limited to education. The University of Michigan Health System notes on its extensive website that kids who watch TV are more likely to smoke, to be overweight, to suffer from sleep difficulties, and to have high cholesterol.

The main conclusion[s]/inference[s] in this article are . . . [Identify the key conclusions the author comes to and presents in the article]

Like the Internet, it should be allowed with clear rules and conditions, and time doing it should be monitored and limited. What the “right” number for you and your family will vary, but it should not be “whenever they want” and “as much as they want.”
Grohol believes that the time we allow our children to watc TV should be monitored and limited. He states that children should not be able to simply watch television whenever and as much as they would like to.

The main assumptions underlying the author’s thinking are . . [Think about what the author is assuming to be true and what might be questioned. To expand on this statement you will need to think about the larger context of the topic]

If we accept the author’s line of reasoning, the implications are . . . [What consequence does the author’s argument have on our understanding of current research and/or theory?]

If we reject the author’s line of reasoning, the implications are . . . [What consequence does rejecting the author’s argument have on our understanding of current research and theory?]