Errors in Concept Development, Copyright © 1998 Art Lightstone

Standard Errors in Concept Development Art Lightstone

As students progress through my courses, they will invariably encounter a variety of icons presented on their tests, papers, or projects as part of my evaluation and feedback. Most difficulties in concept development can often be attributed to a few standard errors. I have outlined and described these errors below. I have also presented the icons that I typically use within my marking in order to quickly identify these errors to my student's.

	Broken Link		Circular Argument
	Non-Linear Argument		Narrow Argument
	Contradiction		Unfalsifiable Hypothesis
	Poetic Argument		Direction of Causality
	Third Variable		Vague Statement

Icon Explanation Example

Broken Link: A sequence of concepts that are broken by an unexpressed or insufficiently explained element. "The corporation's profits increased, causing the price of the stock to increase." In this case, two concepts are broken by a missing element. The corporation's increase in profits would cause an increase in demand for it's stock, and it is this increase in demand for the stock that would actually cause the price of the stock to increase.

Circular Argument: An argument supported exclusively by the very assumptions that it provides. "Criminal laws outline criminal acts, and criminal acts are deemed to be any acts which violate criminal laws."

Non-Linear Argument: Several disjointed ideas which may, in-of-themselves, be correct, but lack a linear progression towards a logical conclusion. "Inflation cannot continue indefinitely. Markets must fluctuate, as stocks rise and fall."

Narrow Argument: The concept is described or defined in terms that are too narrow. Correct points may be present, but they fail to express the "defining" elements of the argument. "A teacher is someone who works with children."

Contradiction: Two or more points presented within the argument contradict each other. "Young offenders are just as capable of committing criminal acts as adults, therefore they should be provided special considerations under the law."

Unfalsifiable Hypothesis: An argument which is constructed in such a manner that it eliminates any possible means of proving or disproving its fundamental assumption. "The fact that we can find no evidence of their plot against us proves the depth of their conspiracy."

Poetic Argument: An argument which presents an elegent sounding phrase or expression, but fails to present the substance necessary to allow one to challenge its fundamental assumption. "What goes up, must come down."

Direction of Causality: An argument which presents a correlation between two variables, but fails to establish which variable is responding to the other. "Students achieve greater results in subjects they enjoy." In this case, the two variables may very well be correlated. However, the argument does not establish whether students achieve greater results because they enjoy a subject, or if students enjoy subjects because they do well in them.

Third Variable: An argument which presents a correlation between two variables, but fails to explore a third variable that may in fact be responsible for this correlation. "High Canadian interest rates increase Canadian exports." In this case, the two variables may very well be correlated. However, the argument does not acknowledge the third variable - namely, a low Canadian dollar, that is in fact responsible for both the high interest rates and the high exports.

Vague Statement: A statement which is correct, but could be equally correct for any number of different questions. "Predatory pricing is where a company tries to eliminate its competition." This statement is true. However, this statement would be just as true for most prohibited practices under the Competition Act (i.e. tied selling, abuse of dominant position, etc.). Thus, the statement does not effectively tell us any specific information about predatory pricing.

Return to Resource Index

Icon	Explanation	Example
	Broken Link: A sequence of concepts that are broken by an unexpressed or insufficiently explained element.	"The corporation's profits increased, causing the price of the stock to increase." In this case, two concepts are broken by a missing element. The corporation's increase in profits would cause an increase in demand for it's stock, and it is this increase in demand for the stock that would actually cause the price of the stock to increase.
	Circular Argument: An argument supported exclusively by the very assumptions that it provides.	"Criminal laws outline criminal acts, and criminal acts are deemed to be any acts which violate criminal laws."
	Non-Linear Argument: Several disjointed ideas which may, in-of-themselves, be correct, but lack a linear progression towards a logical conclusion.	"Inflation cannot continue indefinitely. Markets must fluctuate, as stocks rise and fall."
	Narrow Argument: The concept is described or defined in terms that are too narrow. Correct points may be present, but they fail to express the "defining" elements of the argument.	"A teacher is someone who works with children."
	Contradiction: Two or more points presented within the argument contradict each other.	"Young offenders are just as capable of committing criminal acts as adults, therefore they should be provided special considerations under the law."
	Unfalsifiable Hypothesis: An argument which is constructed in such a manner that it eliminates any possible means of proving or disproving its fundamental assumption.	"The fact that we can find no evidence of their plot against us proves the depth of their conspiracy."
	Poetic Argument: An argument which presents an elegent sounding phrase or expression, but fails to present the substance necessary to allow one to challenge its fundamental assumption.	"What goes up, must come down."
	Direction of Causality: An argument which presents a correlation between two variables, but fails to establish which variable is responding to the other.	"Students achieve greater results in subjects they enjoy." In this case, the two variables may very well be correlated. However, the argument does not establish whether students achieve greater results because they enjoy a subject, or if students enjoy subjects because they do well in them.
	Third Variable: An argument which presents a correlation between two variables, but fails to explore a third variable that may in fact be responsible for this correlation.	"High Canadian interest rates increase Canadian exports." In this case, the two variables may very well be correlated. However, the argument does not acknowledge the third variable - namely, a low Canadian dollar, that is in fact responsible for both the high interest rates and the high exports.
	Vague Statement: A statement which is correct, but could be equally correct for any number of different questions.	"Predatory pricing is where a company tries to eliminate its competition." This statement is true. However, this statement would be just as true for most prohibited practices under the Competition Act (i.e. tied selling, abuse of dominant position, etc.). Thus, the statement does not effectively tell us any specific information about predatory pricing.