Complex Cause Fallacy Examples in Media, Real Life, Politics, News & Ads

Complex Cause Fallacy

What is Complex Cause Fallacy?

A complex cause fallacy is a mistake in reasoning that occurs when a cause and its effect are combined. It is a logical fallacy that occurs when the reason for an event or action is not determined to be due to one single, simple factor.

This fallacy is a type of causal oversimplification in which the person making the argument assumes that complex causes are less likely. But the truth is that complex event are just as likely as simple events.

This is because there are combinations of events that will lead to the desired result, and the person only sees a certain subset of those occurrences.

A fallacy is the type of reasoning that does not line up with the truth, such as the complex cause fallacy, when someone doesn’t consider all of the information before coming to their conclusion, such as when they see a correlation, still, they fail to see common denominators that could lead to a different conclusion.

It is wrong to say that something is the direct or sole cause of an event or that it is the only factor contributing to the event. Many people have the misconception that a specific event can be attributed to a single cause.

For example, someone might think that because their child is sick, it’s because the child was around smoke from cigarette smoke.

Complex Cause Fallacy Examples

Complex Cause Fallacy Real-Life Examples

Complex Cause Fallacy in Real Life:

This fallacy refers to a situation in which there are many different causes of an event, and it’s not possible to determine which one was the most important.

For example, if someone commits suicide and you assume that they did so because they were bullied at school, this would be considered a complex cause fallacy. Other factors such as mental health issues or family problems may have contributed to their decision.

Complex Cause Fallacy Examples in Media

Examples of Complex Cause Fallacy in Media:

The media tends to focus on the immediate causes of events, which are often more sensational than long-term factors.

For example, a car accident is reported as a “tragic accident” rather than an event that traffic laws could have prevented.

Complex cause fallacy can lead to misguided public policy and ineffective solutions.

Complex Cause Examples in Advertising

Complex Cause Fallacy in Advertising: 

A company might claim that their product is the best because it has a higher price.

Another example of complex cause fallacy in advertising is when companies use false statistics to prove their point, such as claiming that 90% of women prefer this shampoo over other brands.

Other examples include;

• “Coca-Cola is the best thing in the world.”
• “The only way to be happy is to drink Coke.”
•  “Drinking Coke will make you more popular and successful.”
•  “If you don’t drink Coca-Cola, then your life will be meaningless and sad.”

Complex Cause Fallacy in Politics

Examples of Complex Cause Fallacy in Politics:

A complex cause fallacy is when someone assumes that a single factor is the only one responsible for an outcome.

In politics, this can be seen in many cases where people attribute a certain event to a single politician or party’s actions.

However, there are often multiple factors at play that contribute to the success of an event.

Complex Cause Fallacy examples in Movies

Examples of Complex Cause Fallacy in Movies:

• The protagonist’s actions are the direct cause of his/her own misfortune.
• The protagonist is not responsible for their own misfortune because a villain manipulated them.
• A character’s misfortune was caused by another person, but it was an accident.

Complex Cause Fallacy Examples in Literature

Examples of Complex Cause Fallacy in Literature:

The protagonist’s motivations are not clear in the story, making it difficult to understand his actions.  The narrator is biased and does not provide all of the information needed for a complete understanding of what happened.

Many causes lead to an event or outcome, but one cause is singled out as being more important than others.

Complex Cause Fallacy Examples in News

Examples of Complex Cause Fallacy in News:

The complex cause fallacy is when someone assumes that a single event caused an outcome, but there are many other factors at play.

For example, if a person has cancer and they attribute it to their drinking alcohol, this would be the complex cause fallacy because there are many other causes for cancer, such as genetics or smoking cigarettes.

This type of reasoning is often used in news stories where journalists want to create a sense of urgency by saying, “if you do X, then Y will happen,” even though there are multiple reasons why Y happened.

Complex Cause example in Philosophy

Examples of Complex Cause Fallacy in Philosophy:

•  The cause of a disease is not always the same as its effect.
• A person’s mood can affect their performance on a test, even if they are unaware of it.
• An event that causes another event may be an effect of it

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• Questionable Cause Fallacy Examples in Media, Real Life, Politics, News & Ads