Cause and effect analysis is the term used for finding connections between events. Using cause and effect analysis permits you to go in either direction -- from cause to effect, or from effect to cause.

When you move from cause to effect, you have already identified a cause (or causes) in the past and you are looking at the effects of these causes now or you are projecting them into the future. You are answering the questions, "What are the results?" or "What will the results be?"

When you move from effect to cause, you are aware of certain states or events in the present and you are trying to find out why they occurred, so in this case your paper will be answering the question "Why did this happen?"

Whether you are listing the effects or causes of a situation, warn your reader that you intend to do a causal analysis by using such expressions as because, therefore, since, the reason is, due to, as a result, consequently, and thus when you write your thesis.

Here are some examples of thesis statements for cause and effect papers:

1. The end of the cold war and the collapse of the Soviet Union allowed ethnic conflicts to erupt in parts of Europe.

2. The entertainment industry is a primary cause of the vulgarity of American culture.

3. Letting the engine coolant in your car get low can contribute to a buildup of rust in the cooling system, make the engine overheat, and cause damage to the water pump.

4. Booker T. Washington became a great Black leader because of determination and a strong work ethic.

5. An increase in youth violence is due in part to a lack of parental direction, a debased popular culture, and an attitude among young people that others are responsible for their problems.

6. Mary makes the dean's list each semester because she reads all of her textbook assignments, keeps a reading journal, always attends class and takes notes, and studies for tests with her friends.

7. Many marriages breakup because of money problems, infidelity, and changing interests of the marriage partners.

8. When the steel mill closed, the welfare rolls increased, property values dropped, and the divorce rate climbed.

9. Competition from Japanese and European manufacturers has resulted in more fuel efficient American cars with many design innovations and better quality.

10. Research shows that in there is a decrease in crime when citizens are allowed to carry concealed weapons.

Causal analysis is tricky. Few situations can be traced directly to a single, clear cause, and for this reason even experts may disagree about causes. Therefore you should not be dogmatic in drawing causal connections. It is prudent to qualify your assertions with "it appears that," "it seems to indicate," or "the evidence points to." These qualifiers show that you realize that the connection between events may be probable but not certain.

You should focus on immediate, not remote causes. An effect may often be preceded by a whole chain of causes so that when you try to find the fundamental cause, you are simply pushed further and further back from one cause to another.

For instance, what is the cause of air pollution? Industrial waste. But industrial waste is caused by industry. Industry is caused by the growing needs of our exploding population. The exploding population is caused by lack of birth control, which results in part from religious beliefs. Religious beliefs come from the writings in the Bible. The Bible is the word of God. Therefore, God is the cause of air pollution. This example illustrates how a train of causation can lead you to a remote and therefore absurd conclusion.

Avoid circular reasoning about cause. The following causal statements are circular:

• The freeways are overcrowded because there are too many cars.

• Lung cancer is caused by the rapid and uncontrolled growth of cells in the lungs.

Beware of ideology in assigning cause. Here is an example of a causal statement based on ideology:

The high divorce rate in Southern California is caused by the fact that the devil has chosen this section of the country for his own and has been especially busy working among couples here.

Prewriting

Look at the world around you. Read the newspaper or a news magazine likeTime or Newsweek. There are many situations, both good and bad, which would be appropriate for this paper. Choose one and explore it through brainstorming, clustering and freewriting. In your essay, you are not expected to give the kind of exhaustive analysis that a professional in the field would give. However, you might well be able to point to one or two contributing causes or effects. Something that you have some personal knowledge of is always preferable both because you will have a greater interest in it and you will be able to talk about it to some extent without the use of outside sources.

Make sure your essay has the three basic parts: introduction, body, conclusion. The introduction should make both your topic and your purpose clear to your reader. Your main idea should be stated at the end of your introduction. The introduction should have an interest catcher, something to attract the reader's attention (see pages 172-174).

The body of your paper should present the causes and/or effects in an organized way. The main points will be either causes or effects. Each of these main points should be developed in a paragraph with a topic sentence. Make the causes and effects clear by giving specific and concrete information. Rather than simply saying, "I suffered painful injuries in my automobile accident," say "In my automobile accident I suffered a broken leg which required surgery. The doctor used steel screws to hold the broken bones in position, and I had to wear a cast and walk on crutches for six weeks."

Finally, your essay should have a conclusion that sums up what you have said and refers back to your main idea. In addition, you may state lessons learned or give cautions to others. However, be careful not to open up new topics that require additional explanation or development.

The completed essay must be at least 500 words. There is no limit on length, but all essays should be concise, informative, and correct. Longer essays that multiply errors simply provide more justification for a poor grade. Microsoft Word will tell you how many words there are in a document. Microsoft Word also allows for the inclusion of graphics in Word documents. Include these as necessary.