A recent research study found that surfing the internet and accessing non-academic grades resulted in lowering students GPA.

Dr. Rushmore studied the relationship between grades and non-academic surfing in a first-year introduction to psychology class. Approximately, 100 out of the 500 students from the one introduction to psychology class completed a weekly survey after each class describing the amount of time they spent on non-academic websites. At the end of the class, Dr. Rushmore compared students who spent a considerable amount of time surfing non-academic websites and those who did not surf non-academic sites during lecture. He found that those students who spent less time on the internet had better grades at the end of the course.

Penny Wyseman a third-year undergraduate psychology student agrees with the findings. She told reporters that during first and second year she always was surfing the net during her psychology lectures. However, this year she decided to stop bringing her laptop to class to see if it impacted her grades and she found her GPA went from a 3.0 to a 3.5 in one semester!

Further, in the study it was found that the impact of non-academic surfing during lecture impacts the mental health of students. Dr. Rushmore found that surfing non-academic websites also resulted in students having a greater number of depression symptoms. This is a ground breaking finding and one that has not been found before in studies that have examined the relationship between non-academic surfing and GPA. Dr. Rushmore argues though that the finding makes perfect sense because “If students are spending a significant amount of time on the internet during class this likely results in social isolation, in turn leading to depression.”

Penny Wyseman again concurs. She found that during first and second year she was experiencing symptoms of depression that got so bad she had to go see a counsellor. Since the start of this year she has been in a much better place and thinks it is because she is not spending so much time on the internet during class.

Dr. Rushmore stated that instructors should seriously consider banning laptops in the classroom given the disastrous effects on student’s academics and mental health. He is currently working with a number of universities to help develop policies around laptop use in the classroom and offers workshops to professors on how to curb this troubling behaviour.
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Can someone help me with this?

I have to identify principles of critical thinking and explain in relation to this scenario.(Extraordinary claims, Falsifiability, occam's razor, replicability, ruling out rival hypothesis, correlation vs causation)

I believe that one of the principles is Correlation vs. Causation. I need two more I don't understand.

Thank you!

In relation to this scenario, in addition to the principle of "Correlation vs. Causation," you can also identify the principles of "Extraordinary claims" and "Falsifiability."

1. Extraordinary claims: One principle of critical thinking is to critically analyze extraordinary or extraordinary-sounding claims. In this case, the claim being made is that surfing the internet during class has a direct negative impact on students' grades and mental health. This claim is noteworthy due to its potential impact on academic policies and student well-being. By acknowledging this principle, it is important to question whether the claim of a direct link between internet surfing and grades/mental health is extraordinary and warrants further investigation.

2. Falsifiability: Another principle of critical thinking is to assess the falsifiability of claims. In this scenario, Dr. Rushmore conducted a study to examine the relationship between internet surfing during lectures and students' grades. The study found a correlation between less internet surfing and better grades, as well as an association between internet surfing and depressive symptoms. To apply the principle of falsifiability, it would be essential to consider alternative explanations or hypotheses that could potentially explain the observed correlation. For instance, other factors like study habits, attention-span, and time management could influence both internet surfing behavior and grades/mental health.

3. Occam's Razor: Occam's Razor is a principle that suggests that the simplest explanation that accounts for all the facts is usually the most plausible. While not explicitly mentioned in the scenario, this principle can still be connected to the study and its findings. By applying Occam's Razor, one could argue that the simplest explanation would be that the distraction caused by internet surfing during lectures hampers academic performance and negatively affects mental health. However, it is important to further investigate and test this explanation against other potential factors that may also influence grades and mental health to avoid oversimplification.

It's worth noting that the principles of "Replicability" and "Ruling out rival hypotheses" are not explicitly mentioned in the scenario but could also be related to critical thinking in conducting further research or examining alternative explanations for the observed findings.