Causal Analysis Essay

1. CAUSAL ANALYSIS ESSAY
RUSSELL RODRIGO

2. Learning Outcomes
1. Identify the purpose and structures of a causal analysis essay
2. Apply various linguistic structures
3. Draft an outline for their essay

3. The Causal Analysis Essay
 “Why did it happen?
 What caused it?
 What does it cause?
 What are the effects?
 How is it related to something else?”

4. Cause-and-Effect
 Cause-and-effect helps us understand why things
happen or what the results of events will be.
 An effect is what happened.
 A contributing cause is why it happened.

5. Why Use Cause-And-Effect?
Cause/Effect helps us…
 make sense of things.
 envision the future or understand the past.
 plan.
 make decisions.
 implement changes.

6. Why Use Cause-And-Effect?
 In essence, a Causal Analysis academic essay probes the why of specific actions,
events, attitudes, and/or conditions and then examines the effect of specific
consequences.
 In the simplest terms, a Causal Analysis academic essay may be reduced to the
equation:
Cause(s) + Effect(s) = Specific Consequence(s)
The focus is on the connections made between the
cause and effect which produce specific consequences.

7. The three main purposes for an Causal
Analysis academic essay are:
1. To prove a point
2. To argue against a widely accepted belief
3. To speculate on a theory

8. Causal Analysis Structures
EFFECT CAUSE 1 CAUSE 2 CAUSE 3 CONCLUSION
SIMPLE CAUSE COMPLEX CAUSE COMPLEX EFFECT
CAUSE  EFFECT
CAUSE 1
CAUSE 2  EFFECT
CAUSE 3
EFFECT 1
CAUSE  EFFECT 2
EFFECT 3
In discussing cause and effect, we are discussing why things happen. The
relationship between the two may range from simple to complex.

9. Causal Analysis Focusing on Causes
 Your focus will be on CAUSES, but you should create the context
of the situation by briefly describing the effects.
 Distribute the outline template focusing on CAUSES.

10. Causal Analysis Focusing on Effects
 Your focus will be on EFFECTS, but you should
create the context of the situation by briefly
describing the causes.
 Distribute the Outline Template focusing on Effects.

11. Sample Introduction: Analyze how the introduction below is
developed. What is the thesis statement? What is the focus of the
paper?
Genetically-Altered Foods: Why We Should Not Tamper with Mother Nature
Each day through the use of genetic engineering, food are being artificially
modified and introduced to the public for consumption. According to USA
Today magazine, "contrary to popular lore, the public is not particularly concerned
about eating foods tailored through biotechnology. When they were asked how likely
they would be to buy a new better tasting tomato, or other kinds of biotech food
products, most people said that they would accept it and feel comfortable with it"
(Smith 23). Supporters of these genetically-engineered foods claim that the use of
genetic engineering produces a more nutritional, better looking, economical, and
better tasting product. Despite these strong claims in favor of genetically-altered
foods, there is strong opposition against them. Genetically-altered foods can
contribute to health problems among consumers because their effects on the human

12. Sample Introduction: Analyze how the introduction below is
developed. What is the thesis statement? What is the focus of
the paper?
Child abuse has been a rampant issue occurring not only in developed nations but as
well as in less developed countries. Child abuse is defined as "the physical or mental
injury. . . of a child under the age of 18 by a person who is responsible for the child's
welfare" (Kashani & Allen, 2011) and other various forms of violent behavior inflicted
onto children or in their presence is an overwhelming cause of the occurrence of similar
events in the child's future, when the former victim has reached an age when he or she
can be classified as the administrator of such actions. There were nearly 700,000
children are abused in the U.S annually (National Statistics, 2015). Although many
organizations have already set up programs helping abused children such as Children’s
Advocacy Centers that served and protects more than 3 million children (National
Statisctics, 2015), and laws are enforced to penalize abusive adults, the number of
abused children is still on the rise. A number of contributing factors have caused the
significant growth of this issue, such as living conditions, financial standing, personal
relationships, and school- and gang-related violence can have a considerable effect on

13. Sample Background Paragraph (Focuses on effects/consequences
of child abuse.
Analyze the content. What should you write in the background
paragraph?
While there are many complex reasons why people act violently and criminally
toward others, such as prefrontal brain dysfunctions, lower glucose metabolism,
and a vast array of other physiological and neurological reasons, the general
consensus among experts is that an adult's behavior, in any context, is largely a
result of the quality of the atmosphere in which the child was raised (Smith, 2010).
Of course, many people will argue that any adult has control over his or her free will
and how they conduct themselves. Naturally, not every victim of child abuse and/or
violent crime will emerge into a monster in his or her adult years, and occasionally
someone who experiences a near-perfect childhood will turn the tables and develop
into the exact opposite upon reaching maturity. However, enough conclusive links
exist between sufferers of childhood violence and those who carry out the same
type of abuse to deduce that there is a significant connection.

14. Causal Argument: Body & Conclusion
A. Effect A
1. Relevant research and analysis / argument
2. Relevant research and analysis / argument
B. Effect B
1. Relevant research and analysis /
argument
2. Relevant research and analysis /
argument
Counterargument or Counterclaim
A. Counterargument(s)
 Relevant research & analysis
B. Rebuttal to counterargument(s)
 Relevant research, if needed
 Rebut logically and fairly the preceding counterargument
VI. Conclusion / (Transition for proposal)
 Summarize thesis and major points of essay
 Briefly propose for solutions—where we should go from
here to correct problems set out in causal argument.

15. Samples Thesis Statements for
Cause/Effect Essay:
1. Because of society’s gaudy cravings for magical myths, it has
developed a cult like obsession over Elvis. (1cause & 1effect)
2. Americans have wholeheartedly bought into the label game
because of their desire to express upscale social and financial
status—it is their way of making a statement to the world through
their elegant and glamorous apparel.(1effect & 2 effects)

16. PROPOSED SUBJECT AREAS
1. Health in the 21st century (i.e. nutrition, mental, physical fitness, sexual, etc.)
2. Diversity and Equal opportunity (i.e. opportunities and limitations experienced at work or in society by
people of a different gender, age, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, religion or social class)
3. Food and society (i.e. nutrition, fast food, sodas, obesity, genetically manipulated food, organic food,
vegetarianism, various diets)
4. The future of education (i.e. online/blended learning, student centered learning, use of technology in the
classroom, classroom discipline issues, time in school, homework, standardized tests, grading)
5. Bilingualism / Multilingualism (i.e. learning foreign languages, technology and language learning, language
education, Chinese as a new world language, disappearing languages, language diversity)
6. The role of family (i.e. ageing society, generation gap, parenting issues, millennials, teenage behavior,
discipline)
7. Gender Roles (i.e. conventional gender roles and their restrictions, assumptions, values and stereotypes
associated with gender, changing gender roles in the 21st century, working mothers)
8. Work (i.e. work/life balance, role of internships, unemployment issues, telecommuting, education and work,
value of certain professions, human trafficking, employment opportunities and limitations in your culture)

17. Guidelines/Check List for an Effective
Causal Analysis Essay
1. Fulfill one of the three purposes
for causal analysis:
 To prove a point
 b. To argue against a widely
accepted belief
 c. To speculate on a theory
2. Write a thesis sentence that tells
whether the essay focuses on cause
or effect.
3. Decide on a logical organizational
pattern.
 a. Single cause - multiple effects
 b. Multiple causes - single effect
 c. Causal chain
4. Coherently link ideas with effective
transitions between major ideas and
issues of cause/effect.