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: Scientific evidence might show that the weight loss pill is indeed effective in most or even all cases, or it might show that other factors - water intake, the amount of exercise undertaken by the consumer, or changes in diet - had a larger influence on the participants' weight loss results. Another problem with anecdotal evidence is when it is based on someone's personal testimony. Individuals' accounts of events can be unreliable. Personal accounts can be affected by many factors: stress levels, how questions are phrased, or reconstructive memory, when our own brains fill in missing information in an attempt to make sense of something we saw. Evidence based on personal accounts is not considered credible evidence and can become less credible with time. Anecdotal Evidence's Uses
But that doesn't mean that anecdotal evidence should always be dismissed out of hand. On the contrary, it has the tremendous ability to illuminate instances where scientific research is needed! For instance, anecdotal evidence was to be credited with the observation that, despite Americans' love for fat-free food and diet drink options, the rate of obesity continued to climb throughout the 1990s. Eventually, it became necessary to re-examine so-called 'fat-free' and 'diet' foods more closely in order to gain scientific evidence on how these products affect the human body.