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View Full Version : Beer! Violence! Correlation is not causation!



Lemur
04-11-2007, 04:09
I know how much Orgahs love their beer. So it is with great trepidation that I introduce the latest statistical study:

Violence linked to price of beer. (http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2007/04/violence_linked_to_p.html)

A research report published in Applied Economics has found that the number of patients with violence-related injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms is related to the price of beer.

The paper is available online as a pdf (http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/dentistry/research/phacr/violence/pdfs/Beer_violence.pdf) and is from Cardiff University's Violence and Society (http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/dentistry/research/phacr/violence) Research Group.

The researchers examined admissions to 58 hospital accident and emergency departments over a five year period and found that as the price of beer increased, violence-related injuries decreased.

In general, studies have found that alcohol consumption increases both the risk of being a victim of violence and the perpetrator of it.

There are three main theories on why alcohol and violence are linked: i) due to the drug effects on the brain; ii) because people use alcohol as an excuse for violent behaviour; iii) because people who use alcohol might be more likely to be violent, perhaps due to personality factors like sensation-seeking, impulsivity or risk-taking.

Of course, these theories are not in competition and all the factors are likely to have some influence, but researchers are keen to find out how they interact to better understand the problem.

Interestingly, the Applied Economics study also looked at a number of other factors linked to violence and found that increases in poverty, unemployment, diversity of ethnic population, the summer months and major sporting events also independently predicted an increase in violence.

This combination of an economic and psychological approach to understand violence is particularly important for designing and implementing government or health service policies.

Cardiff University's Violence and Society Research Group has an interesting history.

It was started by dentist and surgeon Prof Jonathan Shepherd who noticed the amount of facial glass injuries turning up in hospital.

Many turned out to be due to alcohol-fuelled violence and the Group's research has shown that everything from glass type to availability of recycling facilities can reduce the number of injuries.

The research extended to include violence in general and now takes a comprehensive look at how both social and individual factors influence violent behaviour.


pdf (http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/dentistry/research/phacr/violence/pdfs/Beer_violence.pdf) of paper on price of beer and violence.
Link (http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/dentistry/research/phacr/violence) to Violence and Society Research Group page (with full-text papers).

Gregoshi
04-11-2007, 04:58
This must be a bitter Pilsner to swallow for beer drinkers. Let's hope the research doesn't cause too much of a brew-ha. It shouldn't surprise anyone that higher beer prices tend to have a bigger effect on the pour and the lower glass, while lower beer prices lead to a raising of mug(ging)s. And now that I'm done with my puns, I can almost hear the cheers. ~:cheers:

Hosakawa Tito
04-11-2007, 11:23
Tastes Great or Less Filling (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X3oo2oPSAM)
Blame it on Miller.

lars573
04-11-2007, 15:35
Alcohol comsuption leads to violence!! Thank you, thank you so much. I never would have figured that out on my own. Thank you Captain Obvious!
http://www.frontiernet.net/~joe14580/captain%20obvious.jpg




















:clown:

drone
04-11-2007, 15:47
On one hand, higher beer prices piss me off, so I would expect the opposite to be true. But higher prices would also make one more protective of his beer, and a bar brawl would be counter-productive, since much beer would be spilt. :inquisitive:

Whacker
04-11-2007, 15:53
horrible puns

Who the hell let him out of the basement again???

:laugh4: :laugh4: :laugh4:

Lemur, I think most of us Americans knew this was true already. I mean hell, I get really pissed off when I have to drink cheap crappy beer... Don't we all?

:balloon2:

Lemur
04-11-2007, 15:55
I mean hell, I get really pissed off when I have to drink cheap crappy beer... Don't we all?
I have no idea of what you're talking about ...

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/Lemurmania/milwaukeesbestbottles.jpg

drone
04-11-2007, 16:03
The Beast got me through college. :2thumbsup:

Whacker
04-11-2007, 16:04
I have no idea of what you're talking about ...

*horrible picture*



I guess I don't either...

http://www.naturallight.com/natural/index.html

:skull:

English assassin
04-11-2007, 16:18
Interestingly, the Applied Economics study also looked at a number of other factors linked to violence and found that increases in poverty, unemployment, diversity of ethnic population, the summer months and major sporting events also independently predicted an increase in violence.

Grant funded by the Bleedin' Obvious Research Council no doubt.

Thay've missed the big picture though. A Violence and Society Research Group is all very well but what about a Sex and Society Research Group? Can't tell me the birth rate won't correlate to the availability of free beer.

We need clinical trials. I'm in.

Whacker
04-11-2007, 16:56
Grant funded by the Bleedin' Obvious Research Council no doubt.

Thay've missed the big picture though. A Violence and Society Research Group is all very well but what about a Sex and Society Research Group? Can't tell me the birth rate won't correlate to the availability of free beer.

We need clinical trials. I'm in.
I'm sure the research group will greatly appreciate your contributions to the studies of attempted human asexual reproduction.

:hide:

:balloon2:

Big King Sanctaphrax
04-11-2007, 23:22
What an incredibly lazy study. Couldn't be bothered to look at the actual increase in beer consumption, so just looked at the price.

If the price of beer was slashed by fifty percent tomorrow, I wouldn't drink twice as much. Nor would I drop consumption by half if the prcie doubled.

Hosakawa Tito
04-11-2007, 23:30
Grant funded by the Bleedin' Obvious Research Council no doubt.

Thay've missed the big picture though. A Violence and Society Research Group is all very well but what about a Sex and Society Research Group? Can't tell me the birth rate won't correlate to the availability of free beer.

We need clinical trials. I'm in.

Did someone mention free beer? I'm all in.:barrel:
I'm a happy drunk too

Suraknar
04-11-2007, 23:33
All Humans have an innate predisposition to violence. Alcohol and all other substances that impair judgement will of cource always be catalists to violence.

That said, it is up to people to learn when to stop and not abuse. Raising the price of beer has reduced consumption rates to some so it is normal that less people abuse therefore less violence incidents.

Kinda Obvious yes!

Andres
04-11-2007, 23:35
If I had to wait that long (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tXmGYk_A_c) for my beer, I would really become violent...