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ARTICLES: Steven C. Martino, Rebecca L. Collins, Marc N. Elliott, Amy Strachman, David E. Kanouse, and Sandra H. Berry Exposure to Degrading Versus Nondegrading Music Lyrics and Sexual Behavior Among Youth Pediatrics 2006; 118: e430-e441 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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eLetters published:

Both data are incidental

Rajan TD   (6 August 2006)

Correlation is not cause

Bob Lieberman   (8 August 2006)

Globe and Mail Readers take issue with "sloppy science"

Tiina A Payson, BSc MLIS   (8 August 2006)

correlation is not causation

Larry Siegel   (8 August 2006)

No Clear Cause-and-effect

Joseph R Winslow   (2 September 2006)

Both data are incidental 6 August 2006
Rajan TD, Specialist, Skin & Sex Transm Diseases, Andheri, Mumbai, India. Tel:0091-22-66982747 CMPH Medical College, Mumbai, India Send letter to journal: Re: Both data are incidental rajan.td{at}gmail.com Rajan TD	The study throws up interesting data about the sexual behaviour among the current breed of youngsters in the United States. The attitude of the youth may not be much different in the developing countries. Everyone agrees that sexually explicit lyrics do no good to the adolescent mind and instead they could stimulate promiscuous sexual behaviour. There is a definite need to control the amount of degrading sexual content in the print as well as the electronic media so as to prevent its deleterious effects on the adolescent children. However, such statistical studies sometimes convey a wrong impression. The study simply strings together two groups of data and tries to arrive at a conclusion. This study is akin to the study conducted a few decades ago which established a statistical correlation in the aviation industry. It was shown that 82% of the aviation accidents occur while the flight is about to take off or while landing. According to the study the number of mishaps, while the aircraft was cruising in the sky, was miniscule. So, were we to conclude that the only way of minimising such crashes is to always avoid take offs and landings? While undertaking a scientific study the authors ought to have a broad view of the likely end result and its impact on human lives or it will be left for just coffee-table consumption! Conflict of Interest: None declared
Correlation is not cause 8 August 2006
Bob Lieberman, Systems Analyst Private Send letter to journal: Re: Correlation is not cause boblieberman{at}earthlink.net Bob Lieberman	Had the researchers randomly allocated explicit or non-explicit music to the subjects, the conclusion might be justified. But the teenagers chose their own music. An equally valid conclusion is that teenagers who are likely to start sex early also tend to choose sexually explicit music. Conflict of Interest: None declared
Globe and Mail Readers take issue with "sloppy science" 8 August 2006
Tiina A Payson, BSc MLIS, Librarian Manager n/a Send letter to journal: Re: Globe and Mail Readers take issue with "sloppy science" tiina.payson{at}shaw.ca Tiina A Payson, BSc MLIS	It is interesting to note that the newspaper article in the Globe and Mail, Online edition for Monday, August 7, 2006, reporting on this piece generated 59 reader comments. ( http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/ RTGAM.20060807.wsexy0807/CommentStory/specialScienceandHealth/ ) Notably a large number of readers took exception to the "sloppy science" represented by this article and perceived the approach taken by the authors to be narrowly-focused and tainted by a hidden agenda. It seems the authors attempted to be prudent by liberal use of "may" or "may be" but this does not excuse the lack of discussion regarding possible confounding factors such as: parental influences, previous exposure to sex education, levels of self- esteem, socio-economic factors, and the highly sexualized advertising and marketing tactics we are exposed to daily, to name but a few. (For further discussion on the latter see : "It's a Porn World After All - Commercial concupiscence consumes global culture" by Charles Foran, Walrus Magazine March 2006: http://www.walrusmagazine.com/article.pl? sid=06/02/23/0556219 ) One commentator was dismayed that the Globe would print such a poorly researched story, that a reputable journal would never let it pass muster, missing the fact that Pediatrics was already committed to publishing the article. Correlation does not equal causation. Particularly in the realms of human behaviour such simplistic analyses as presented in this article are not good science and are likely do more harm than good to the understanding of teen behaviour and sexuality. Conflict of Interest: None declared
correlation is not causation 8 August 2006
Larry Siegel, professor Umass-Lowell Send letter to journal: Re: correlation is not causation ljsiegel{at}comcast.net Larry Siegel	While it is possible that listening to suggestive music prompts interest in sexual experimentation, it may be more likely that kids who are already interested in sex like to listen to suggestive music! Put another way, people planning a trip to Italy will probably buy guide books for Rome and Florence before they begin their journey. Buying the guidebooks did not prompt their trip, their purschase is a byproduct of the decision to travel abroad. The fact that sexually active kids listen to music with a sexual content should not be surprising. Did we expect that they listened to Mozart's Requiem and Handel's Messiah? Conflict of Interest: None declared
No Clear Cause-and-effect 2 September 2006
Joseph R Winslow, Licensed Mental Health Technician Stormont-Vail Healthcare Send letter to journal: Re: No Clear Cause-and-effect winsjoe{at}aol.com Joseph R Winslow	This study in no way can be interpreted definitively to prove the cause-and-effect relationship it suggests. As other responders have pointed out, children who listen to music with degrading lyrics are more likely to be the type who will also engage in sexual relations earlier, period. In my experience, adolescents who dress in black and like to appear mysterious as "Goths," tend to use drugs more than their average peers. Should one conclude that wearing black causes youth to use drugs? The researchers went to great lengths to control different factors that could influence the behaviors being tested, but unless they also controlled who listened to what, they can only suggest a "possible" cause- and-effect relationship. There are many instances of children born of the same parents and with virtually the same environment, yet have vast differences in behavior. This is not to say their inferences cannot be correct, just that they can't be 100% sure of it. Conflict of Interest: None declared