Assignment #5

    A newspaper headline reads "Scientific study shows that coffee can cut risk of suicide"- The article states that in a 10 year study of 86, 626 female nurses, there were 10 suicides among individuals who drank tow to three cups of caffenated coffee per day compared with 21 suicides among individuals that almost never drank coffee.  The researchers note that results were consistent with those of a previous study of 128, 934 men and women done virtually the same way.  The article also includes the following:

    A) Mention of a previous study indicating he amount of caffeine in 2-3 cups of coffee tends to increase the drinkers general energy level, sense of well being, energy and motivation to work.

    B) Criticism by another scientist who found the study flawed because it failed to address how many nurses used anti-depressant drugs.

    C) Mention that the researchers recorded the use of alcohol and tobacco by the nurses but did not record the number of nurses who were depressed and who were  told by their doctors not to drink coffee.

    1) Do you think the conclusions in the headline are justified?  Why or why not?

    2) How would you rewrite the headlines to reflect more accurately the study as described?

    3) What key elements of the scientific process did the researchers use?

    4) Which ones were not used?