Interestingly the authors are quoted in the NY Times saying exactly that: "Researchers should be cautious in attributing correlations in health outcomes of close friends to social network effects," the authors say. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/health/05happy-web.html?ref=health Marie
**************************************************** Marie Helweg-Larsen, Ph.D. Department Chair and Associate Professor of Psychology Kaufman 168, Dickinson College Carlisle, PA 17013, [cid:[email protected]] (717) 245-1562, [cid:[email protected]] (717) 245-1971 Office Hours: Tues and Thur 9:30-10:30, Wed 10:30-11:45 http://www.dickinson.edu/departments/psych/helwegm **************************************************** From: Jonathan Mueller [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 11:32 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: Re: [tips] Social network effects: for real? Stephen, Thanks for passing these along. Regarding the first study, it is very disconcerting when a non-experimental study makes causal claims and yet there is not a single word in the discussion section about the correlational nature of the data or any possible limitations to the claims being made. Where is the scientific restraint? Jon =============== Jon Mueller Professor of Psychology North Central College 30 N. Brainard St. Naperville, IL 60540 voice: (630)-637-5329 fax: (630)-637-5121 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://jonathan.mueller.faculty.noctrl.edu<http://jonathan.mueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/> >>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 12/5/2008 10:14 AM >>> Much excitement in the news about a study just published in BMJ (British Medical Journal): Dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network: longitudinal analysis over 20 years in the Framingham Heart Study James H Fowler and Nicholas A Christakis. BMJ 2008 337: a2338 Full text at http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/337/dec04_2/a2338 Conclusion: "People?s happiness depends on the happiness of others with whom they are connected." which, of course, is a causal conclusion. But lesser attention appears to have been paid to another study published simultaneously in the same issue: Detecting implausible social network effects in acne, height, and headaches: longitudinal analysis Ethan Cohen-Cole and Jason M Fletcher. BMJ 2008;337:a2533 Full text at http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/337/dec04_2/a2533 They found that a friend?s acne problems increased one's own acne problems, a friend's headaches increased one's own headaches, and a friend's height increased one's own height. Given the first two, it seems one is better off without friends. Their conclusion: "Researchers should be cautious in attributing correlations in health outcomes of close friends to social network effects, especially when environmental confounders are not adequately controlled for in the analysis" Now see the first study again. Stephen ----------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, Emeritus Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 2600 College St. Sherbrooke QC J1M 1Z7 Canada Subscribe to discussion list (TIPS) for the teaching of psychology at http://flightline.highline.edu/sfrantz/tips/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
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