Convince the Reader That the Reason That

¶ … convince the reader that the reason that something happens (the cause) is linked to the result of that cause (the effect). In developing a cause and effect essay, the writer must be concerned with clearly determining and differentiating causes and effects, and creating a reasonable and believable argument to convince the reader. Often, cause and effect essays are marred by the presence of two logical fallacies, the non-sequitur (it does not follow) and the post hoc (after this, therefore because of this).

In the non-sequitur fallacy, the author makes a conclusion that is not justified by the reasons given. The post hoc fallacy occurs when the reader concludes that a later event is caused because something occurred earlier (Capital Community College Foundation). When either of these fallacies occurs, it can do a great deal of damage to the credibility of an entire argument, and thus defeat the purpose of a cause and effect essay. In today's increasingly connected world, effective teamwork is becoming increasingly important.

Deriving positive results from group decisions an important part of any successful team effort. Often, group decisions can be married by phenomena such as "group think" (where the input of individual members is sacrificed to an overriding need for group unanimity), and problems with communication within the group. Communication differences have often been considered to come from differences between generations, races, genders, and cultures (Lankard). Despite this common perception, however, there are many benefits to diversity on a team.

Differences among group members allow for a number of different points-of-view to be considered, and can prevent a group from becoming too homogenous and lacking in insight and creativity. Further, diversity in a group can result in the creation of broader decisions and results that are more widely applicable to a wide range of cultures, individuals, and situations.