The New York Times reported the results of a 2-year, $1.5 million study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University funded by the National Science Foundation and major technology companies. There...

The New York Times reported the results of a 2-year, $1.5 million study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University funded by the National Science Foundation and major technology companies. There were 169 participants in the study drawn from the Pittsburgh area. The researchers examined the relationship between Internet use and psychological well-being. A director of the study stated that the study did not involve testing extreme amounts of Internet use. The participants were normal adults and their families. On average, for those who used the Internet the most, psychological well-being was the worst. For example, 1 hour a week of Internet use led to slight increases on a depression scale and on a loneliness scale and a reported decline in personal interaction with family members. The researchers concluded that Internet use appears to cause a decline in psychological well-being. They suggested that users of the Internet were building shallow relationships that led to an overall decline in feelings of connection to other people.

A The researchers claim that use of the Internet leads to a decline in people’s well-being. What evidence is present in this summary of the report to meet the conditions necessary for drawing this causal inference and what evidence is lacking?

B What sources beyond this question would you want to check before reaching a conclusion about the fi ndings reported here? [You might begin with the New York Times piece “The Lonely Net,” August 30, 1998, and the Washington Post piece “Net Depression Study Criticized,” September 7, 1998.]