16ii0AEI.10(Today① Instructions(on(Writing(contest(2(② Review:(assumptions(③ Mini(lecture:(correlation/causation(④ Exercises(Correlation*&*causation
Critical(thinking(2Writing(contest(2:(instructionsReview:(assumptions(omitted)

(omitted)



Correlation(doesn’t(imply(causation
• Crucial(for(our(interpretation(of(research(ﬁndings(ACORRELATION*&*CAUSATION

correlation

B

Exercise(1Be(creative!

Exercise(2• List(possible(causal(relations(underlying(the(following(possible(positive(correlations:(a) Explain(the(2(correlations(reported(in(this(Wellcome'article(with(a(diagram.(b) List(all*possible*causal*relations*involved(in(the(correlations.

a) Kids’(success(in(the(marshmallow(test(×(their(success(in(life(b) Kids’(weight(×(parents’(income(c) Early(completion(of(Gyutto0E(×(TOEFL(score(d) Distance(from(campus(×(attendance(rate(e) Number(of(FB(friends(×(number(of(friends(f) Intensity(of(emotion(×(voice

Number*of*Facebook*friends*
linked*to*size*of*brain*regions,*study*suggests
wellcome,(19(October(2011(https://wellcome.ac.uk/press0release/number0facebook0friends0linked0size0brain0regions0study0suggests

• Scientists(funded(by(the(Wellcome(Trust(have(found(a(direct(link(between(the(number(of(‘Facebook(friends’(a(person(has(and(the(size(of(particular(brain(regions.(In(a(study(published(today,(researchers(at(University(College(London((UCL)(also(showed(that(the(more(Facebook(friends(a(person(has,(the(more(‘real0world’(friends(they(are(likely(to(have.(• The*researchers*are*keen*to*stress*that*they*have*found*a*correlation*
and*not*a*cause,*however:*in*other*words,*it*is*not*possible*from*the*data*to*say*whether*having*more*Facebook*friends*makes*the*regions*of*the*brain*larger*or*whether*some*people*are*'hardwired'*to*have*
more*friends.*• The(social(networking(site(Facebook(has(more(than(800(million(active(users(worldwide.(Nearly(30(million(of(these(are(believed(to(be(in(the(UK.(• The(site(allows(people(to(keep(in(touch(online(with(a(network(of(friends.(
The(sizes(of(individual(networks(vary(considerably,(and(some(users(have(only(a(handful(of(online(friends(while(others(have(over(a(thousand;(however,(whether(this(variability(is(reﬂected(in(the(size(of(real0world(social(networks(has(not(been(clear.(• The(size(of(three(other(regions—the(right(superior(temporal(sulcus,(the(left(middle(temporal(gyrus(and(the(right(entorhinal(cortex—also(
correlated(with(online(social(networks(but(did(not(appear(to(correlate(with(real0world(networks.(• The(superior(temporal(sulcus(has(a(role(in(our(ability(to(perceive(a(moving(object(as(biological,(and(structural(defects(in(this(region(have(been(identiﬁed(in(some(children(with(autism.(The(entorhinal(cortex,(meanwhile,(has(been(linked(to(memory(and(navigation—including(navigating(through(online(social(networks.(Finally,(the(middle(temporal(gyrus(has(been(shown(to(activate(in(response(to(the(gaze(of(others(and(so(is(implicated(in(perception(of(social(cues.(• Dr(Ryota(Kanai,(ﬁrst(author(of(the(study,(added:("We(have(found(some(interesting(brain(regions(that(seem(to(link(to(the(number(of(friends(we(have(0(both('real'(and('virtual'.(The(exciting(question(now(is(whether(
these(structures(change(over(time—this(will(help(us(answer(the(question(of(whether(the(internet(is(changing(our(brains."(• As(well(as(examining(brain(structure,(the(researchers(also(examined(
whether(there(was(a(link(between(the(size(of(a(person's(online(network(of(friends(and(their(real0world(network.(Previous(studies(have(looked(at(this,(but(only(in(relatively(small(sample(sizes.(• Professor(Geraint(Rees,(a(Wellcome(Trust(Senior(Clinical(Research(Fellow(
at(UCL,(said:("Online(social(networks(are(massively(inﬂuential,(yet(we(understand(very(little(about(the(impact(they(have(on(our(brains.(This(has(led(to(a(lot(of(unsupported(speculation(that(the(internet(is(somehow(bad(for(us.(• "Our(study(will(help(us(begin(to(understand(how(our(interactions(with(the(world(are(mediated(through(social(networks.(This(should(allow(us(to(start(asking(intelligent(questions(about(the(relationship(between(the(internet(and(the(brain—scientiﬁc(questions,(not(political(ones."(• Professor(Rees(and(colleagues(at(the(UCL(Institute(of(Cognitive(Neuroscience(and(the(Wellcome(Trust(Centre(for(Neuroimaging(studied(brain(scans(of(125(university(students—all(active(Facebook(users—and(compared(them(against(the(size(of(the(students'(network(of(friends,(both(online(and(in(the(real(world.(Their(ﬁndings,(which(they(replicated(in(a(further(group(of(40(students,(are(published(today(in(the(journal(Proceedings'of'the'Royal'Society'B.(• Professor(Rees(and(colleagues(found(a(strong(connection(between(the(number(of(Facebook(friends(an(individual(had(and(the(amount(of(grey(matter((the(brain(tissue(where(the(processing(is(done)(in(several(regions(of(the(brain.(One(of(these(regions(was(the(amygdala,(a(region(associated(with(processing(memory(and(emotional(responses.(A(study(published(recently(showed(that(the(volume(of(grey(matter(in(this(area(is(larger(in(people(with(a(larger(network(of(real0world(friends—today's(study(shows(that(the(same(is(true(for(people(with(a(larger(network(of(online(friends.(• The(UCL(researchers(asked(their(volunteers(questions(such(as('How(many(people(would(send(a(text(message(to(you(marking(a(celebratory(event((e.g.(birthday,(new(job,(etc.)?',('What(is(the(total(number(of(friends(in(your(phonebook?'(and('How(many(friends(have(you(kept(from(school(and(university(that(you(could(have(a(friendly(conversation(with(now?'(The(responses(suggest(that(the(size(of(their(online(networks(also(related(to(the(size(of(their(real(world(networks.(• "Our*ﬁndings*support*the*idea*that*most*Facebook*users*use*the*site*to*
support*their*existing*social*relationships,*maintaining*or*reinforcing*these*friendships,*rather*than*just*creating*networks*of*entirely*new,*virtual*friends,"*adds*Professor*Rees.*• Commenting(on(the(study,(Dr(John(Williams,(Head(of(Neuroscience(and(Mental(Health(at(the(Wellcome(Trust,(said:("We(cannot(escape(the(ubiquity(of(the(internet(and(its(impact(on(our(lives,(yet(we(understand(little(of(its(impact(on(the(brain,(which(we(know(is(plastic(and(can(change(over(time.(This(new(study(illustrates(how(well0designed(investigations(can(help(us(begin(to(understand(whether(or(not(our(brains(are(evolving(as(they(adapt(to(the(challenges(posed(by(social(media."CodedNumber*of*Facebook*friends*
linked*to*size*of*brain*regions,*study*suggests
wellcome,(19(October(2011(https://wellcome.ac.uk/press0release/number0facebook0friends0linked0size0brain0regions0study0suggests

Exp*1• Scientists(funded(by(the(Wellcome(Trust(have(found(a(direct(link(between(the(number(of(‘Facebook(friends’(a(person(has(and(the(size(of(particular(brain(regions.(In(a(study(published(today,(researchers(at(SummaryExp*2
University(College(London((UCL)(also(showed(that(the(more(Facebook(friends(a(person(has,(the(more(‘real0world’(friends(they(are(likely(to(have.(• The*researchers*are*keen*to*stress*that*they*have*found*a*correlation*
and*not*a*cause,*however:*in*other*words,*it*is*not*possible*from*the*Proviso
data*to*say*whether*having*more*Facebook*friends*makes*the*regions*of*the*brain*larger*or*whether*some*people*are*'hardwired'*to*have*
more*friends.*• The(social(networking(site(Facebook(has(more(than(800(million(active(users(worldwide.(Nearly(30(million(of(these(are(believed(to(be(in(the(UK.(• The(site(allows(people(to(keep(in(touch(online(with(a(network(of(friends.(
BackgroundThe(sizes(of(individual(networks(vary(considerably,(and(some(users(have(only(a(handful(of(online(friends(while(others(have(over(a(thousand;(however,(whether(this(variability(is(reﬂected(in(the(size(of(real0world(social(networks(has(not(been(clear.(1/4

• The(size(of(three(other(regions—the(right(superior(temporal(sulcus,(the(left(middle(temporal(gyrus(and(the(right(entorhinal(cortex—also(Exp*1:*result*(b)
correlated(with(online(social(networks(but(did(not(appear(to(correlate(with(real0world(networks.(• The(superior(temporal(sulcus(has(a(role(in(our(ability(to(perceive(a(moving(object(as(biological,(and(structural(defects(in(this(region(have(been(identiﬁed(in(some(children(with(autism.(The(entorhinal(cortex,(meanwhile,(has(been(linked(to(memory(and(navigation—including(navigating(through(online(social(networks.(Finally,(the(middle(temporal(gyrus(has(been(shown(to(activate(in(response(to(the(gaze(of(others(and(so(is(implicated(in(perception(of(social(cues.(
Exp*1:*discussion• Dr(Ryota(Kanai,(ﬁrst(author(of(the(study,(added:("We(have(found(some(interesting(brain(regions(that(seem(to(link(to(the(number(of(friends(we(have(0(both('real'(and('virtual'.(The(exciting(question(now(is(whether(
these(structures(change(over(time—this(will(help(us(answer(the(question(of(whether(the(internet(is(changing(our(brains."(• As(well(as(examining(brain(structure,(the(researchers(also(examined(
whether(there(was(a(link(between(the(size(of(a(person's(online(network(Exp*2
of(friends(and(their(real0world(network.(Previous(studies(have(looked(at(this,(but(only(in(relatively(small(sample(sizes.(

3/4

Model'answer

Possible(causal(relations#FB*
friends
correlation

Exp*2

#realW
world*
friends

causation?

size*of*causation? some*brain*
regions
causation
Exp*1

correlation

X
one*same*fact?

• Professor(Geraint(Rees,(a(Wellcome(Trust(Senior(Clinical(Research(Fellow(at(UCL,(said:("Online(social(networks(are(massively(inﬂuential,(yet(we(understand(very(little(about(the(impact(they(have(on(our(brains.(This(has(led(to(a(lot(of(unsupported(speculation(that(the(internet(is(somehow(bad(for(us.(Background• "Our(study(will(help(us(begin(to(understand(how(our(interactions(with(the(world(are(mediated(through(social(networks.(This(should(allow(us(to(start(asking(intelligent(questions(about(the(relationship(between(the(internet(and(the(brain—scientiﬁc(questions,(not(political(ones."(• Professor(Rees(and(colleagues(at(the(UCL(Institute(of(Cognitive(Neuroscience(and(the(Wellcome(Trust(Centre(for(Neuroimaging(studied(brain(scans(of(125(university(students—all(active(Facebook(users—and(compared(them(against(the(size(of(the(students'(network(of(friends,(Exp*1:*methods
both(online(and(in(the(real(world.(Their(ﬁndings,(which(they(replicated(in(a(further(group(of(40(students,(are(published(today(in(the(journal(
Proceedings'of'the'Royal'Society'B.(• Professor(Rees(and(colleagues(found(a(strong(connection(between(the(number(of(Facebook(friends(an(individual(had(and(the(amount(of(grey(matter((the(brain(tissue(where(the(processing(is(done)(in(several(regions(of(the(brain.(One(of(these(regions(was(the(amygdala,(a(region(associated(Exp*1:*result*(a)
with(processing(memory(and(emotional(responses.(A(study(published(recently(showed(that(the(volume(of(grey(matter(in(this(area(is(larger(in(people(with(a(larger(network(of(real0world(friends—today's(study(shows(that(the(same(is(true(for(people(with(a(larger(network(of(online(friends.(2/4

• The(UCL(researchers(asked(their(volunteers(questions(such(as('How(many(people(would(send(a(text(message(to(you(marking(a(celebratory(event((e.g.(birthday,(new(job,(etc.)?',('What(is(the(total(number(of(friends(in(Exp*2:*methods*&*
your(phonebook?'(and('How(many(friends(have(you(kept(from(school(and(results
university(that(you(could(have(a(friendly(conversation(with(now?'(The(responses(suggest(that(the(size(of(their(online(networks(also(related(to(the(size(of(their(real(world(networks.(• "Our*ﬁndings*support*the*idea*that*most*Facebook*users*use*the*site*to*
support*their*existing*social*relationships,*maintaining*or*reinforcing*
Conclusion*of*Exp*2
these*friendships,*rather*than*just*creating*networks*of*entirely*new,*virtual*friends,"*adds*Professor*Rees.*• Commenting(on(the(study,(Dr(John(Williams,(Head(of(Neuroscience(and(Mental(Health(at(the(Wellcome(Trust,(said:("We(cannot(escape(the(ubiquity(of(the(internet(and(its(impact(on(our(lives,(yet(we(understand(Conclusions/little(of(its(impact(on(the(brain,(which(we(know(is(plastic(and(can(change(implicationsover(time.(This(new(study(illustrates(how(well0designed(investigations(can(help(us(begin(to(understand(whether(or(not(our(brains(are(evolving(as(they(adapt(to(the(challenges(posed(by(social(media."4/4