This Study Proves Me Right

[catcul]

Warning: This post is a bit long, so I'll try to break it up into smaller parts.

I've seen and heard many people use highly flawed studies to prove their point when they run out of arguments.

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When someone wants to prove that violent video games cause real world violence, they turn to the "Punch Clown Study."

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Punch Clown Study

Researchers put children into a room with a punch clown and observe them. The children don't really do anything. Then the researchers show the children a video of adults punching and kicking a punch clown. After that, the children starting punching and kicking the punch clown.

What is this supposed to prove? Children who see violent images are more likely to act more violent.

What does it actually prove? If you show children the intended use of a toy, they will use that toy for its intended purpose. After all, there's a good reason it's called a punch clown.

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Many people want the public to believe that the LGBT community is bad for society. They use many studies that supposedly prove that "homosexuals" are pedophiles. This argument was the inspiration of this post.

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Researchers review many criminal court cases involving molestation of children. 80% of defendants "admitted" to being "homosexual."

What is this supposed to prove? Gays are pedophiles.

What does it actually prove? It proves nothing. These studies rely on the fact that criminals are absolutely, 100% honest.

Now that you stopped laughing, let's dive a little deeper.

A prosecutor has a hidden agenda. He/she was to help his/her buddies to stamp out the "gay threat," so they want many sex offenders to "admit" they're "gay." The defense attorney and the defendant has an obvious agenda. The defendant will "admit" that he's "gay" to get a lighter sentence. The LGBT community pays the price for the prosecutor's deception.

[s_stabeler]

Researchers review many criminal court cases involving molestation of children. 80% of defendants "admitted" to being "homosexual."

What is this supposed to prove? Gays are pedophiles.

What does it actually prove? It proves nothing. These studies rely on the fact that criminals are absolutely, 100% honest.

Now that you stopped laughing, let's dive a little deeper.

A prosecutor has a hidden agenda. He/she was to help his/her buddies to stamp out the "gay threat," so they want many sex offenders to "admit" they're "gay." The defense attorney and the defendant has an obvious agenda. The defendant will "admit" that he's "gay" to get a lighter sentence. The LGBT community pays the price for the prosecutor's deception.

even IF the study was accurate, it wouldn't be more than curiosity. P(A) given B does not equal P(B) given A. ( aka, even IF most pedophiles are gay, it doesn't mean all gay people are pedophiles.

[Gravekeeper]

I use studies and research a lot when needed. However, I look for actual studies and research. Drives me up the wall when someone uses some random website as evidence of their position when the website is so blindingly biased its not funny.

Like, using the op as an example, someone was trying to convince me all pedophiles are homosexuals and linked me to an article on godhatesfags.org/jesussays/gayagenda/ as proof. Yes, I'm sure the fine folks at godhatesfags have performed rigorous double blind studies to come to this conclusion.

Also, I don't know if that's an actual website and if it is, I don't want to know. -.-

[Andrew B]

It's Fred Phelps' website, and is sadly very real.

[wolfie]

Like, using the op as an example, someone was trying to convince me all pedophiles are homosexuals and linked me to an article on godhatesfags.org/jesussays/gayagenda/ as proof.

Not only that, but even if the article were on newenglandjournalofmedicine.org, it would say NOTHING about the inverse relationship. To give a non-controversial example, everyone who drives an 18 wheeler has an air brake endorsement on their driver's license, but not everyone with the air brake endorsement drives an 18 wheeler.

[Rageaholic]

Like, using the op as an example, someone was trying to convince me all pedophiles are homosexuals and linked me to an article on godhatesfags.org/jesussays/gayagenda/ as proof. Yes, I'm sure the fine folks at godhatesfags have performed rigorous double blind studies to come to this conclusion.

Also, I don't know if that's an actual website and if it is, I don't want to know. -.-

That's Fred Phelps website (the mind behind Westboro Baptist). I really hope said person was just trolling when they linked the GHF site.

[Gravekeeper]

That's Fred Phelps website (the mind behind Westboro Baptist). I really hope said person was just trolling when they linked the GHF site.

I was just making up an example. Its interesting that the most horrible URL I could think of is in fact owned by one of the most horrible human beings walking this Earth. -.-

[bara]

Well... you simply cannot expect that a bigot will use a proper study to support their claims.

[LewisLegion]

According to the CDC and the American Psychological Association- you know, actual credible sources, 93 percent of pedophiles are straight men.

Not aimed at anyone here but whoever made the ridiculous 'all pedos are gay' statement to begin with.

[D_Yeti_Esquire]

Not aimed at anyone here but whoever made the ridiculous 'all pedos are gay' statement to begin with.

And yet it answers one demonizing statement with another. Most pedophiles are men AND most men are straight. So technically a more scientifically accurate representation would be the percentage of gay men vs. the percentage of straight men (we've ignored bi men completely) and I'll bet that's probably pretty close to even. May not be, but people rarely chop up those numbers with any attempt at objectivity on either side.

[Ginger Tea]

Back to the punch clown, I had not heard of these in years, what if the video showed the adults doing anything other than punching the clown, what if they dressed it up like a princess?

To me the first 'study' proves to me that punch clowns are so out of fashion that people genuinely need instructions in how to use a child's toy and that is more scary.

[catcul]

Actually, I found out that it's really called the "Bobo Doll Experiment." It was performed in the early 1960's. I also found out that punch clowns are still being sold.

[LewisLegion]

D_Yeti, fair enough. Again, according to numbers I pulled from the CDC and the APA-

Taking registered and known sex offenders, it is concluded statistically-

Out of 100 straight men, 5 are pedophiles.
Out of 100 gay men, 3.1 are pedophiles
Out of 100 straight women, 2 are pedophiles
Out of 100 gay women .5 are pedophiles

If a child is molested, they have less than a 4% chance their molester is a homosexual (male or female). They have a 96% chance their molester is straight (male or female), and a 94% chance that molester is a heterosexual female.

They have a 97% chance their molester is a trusted family member or close friend of the family. Only a 3% chance the molester is a non-trusted stranger to them.

Is that a bit better?

[LewisLegion]

Correction, my mistake. A 94% chance that molester is a heterosexual MALE, not female. Sorry about that.

[Sleepwalker]

'Criminal court cases'- you could interpret said statistic to mean that same sex pedophile are more likely to be prosecuted, not exist.