Title: Anecdotal Evidence: Definition & Examples - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com
Headings: Anecdotal Evidence: Definition & Examples
Anecdotal Evidence: Definition & Examples
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Anecdotal Evidence
Drawbacks of Anecdotal Evidence
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Anecdotal Evidence: Definition & Examples
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Content: In many cases, anecdotes are presented as being true, representing real people and events. Today's topic, anecdotal evidence, can be defined as testimony that something is true, false, related, or unrelated based on isolated examples of someone's personal experience. Anecdotal evidence is very popular in the advertising world. Every time you see a claim about a product's effectiveness based on a person's personal experience, the company is using anecdotal evidence to encourage sales. There is a big and distinct difference between anecdotal evidence and scientific evidence, or proof based on findings from systematic observation, measurement, and experimentation. While scientific evidence can be independently verified using the scientific method, anecdotal evidence cannot. Anecdotal evidence is often offered when there is an absence of scientific evidence or in an effort to refute scientific evidence. Drawbacks of Anecdotal Evidence
One problem with anecdotal evidence is when one or more 'best case' examples are used to generalize about some larger group of people. Diet products and weight loss programs are a terrific example of companies using anecdotal evidence to their full potential. For instance, a commercial for a weight loss supplement might show before-and-after pictures of individuals who took the supplement and subsequently lost weight.