A cause and effect relationship assumes that something is the origin or foundation of something else.
Cause , a term that comes from Latin and has its most distant etymological root in the Greek aitia , has several meanings. In this case we are interested in its meaning as that which originates something or is taken as its foundation .
An effect , on the other hand, is a consequence . It is something that arises from a certain cause.
The expression cause and effect , thus, refers to the relationship established between a fact or phenomenon and its corollary or result . This link is called causality .
Cause and effect link
Causality can be analyzed from different perspectives. The notion even appears, either explicitly or intrinsically, in everyday life and colloquial language .
Suppose a man forgets his wife's birthday. This event makes the woman angry with her partner. In this way, a cause ( forgetting the date ) and an effect ( the birthday girl's discomfort ) can be recognized in this situation.
Take the case of a soccer player who punches an opponent. Upon observing the aggression, the match judge expelled him. In this framework, it is possible to notice the existence of a cause ( the fist bump ) and an effect ( the expulsion of the footballer ).
If it rains a lot and a flood occurs, there is a causal link where the rain is the cause and the flood is the effect.
Causality in philosophy, physics and other sciences
It is important to note that causality is defined as a necessary relationship established between cause and effect . For the effect to occur, the cause must first be present: between the two, there is a logical and chronological link .
Throughout history , philosophers recognized different types of causes and analyzed causality in multiple ways. For Aristotle , for example, causes can be formal, material, efficient or final.
Scientists call the principle of causality the postulate that maintains that every event has a cause, and even the event in question is an effect of the aforementioned cause. From this reasoning, it can be stated that nothing happens in isolation since there are interactions between things and an interdependence also occurs.
The cause and effect diagram
Japanese professor Kaoru Ishikawa developed a graphical representation known as the cause-and-effect diagram , fishbone diagram , or Ishikawa diagram in the 1940s . Through this resource, it is shown how different elements (that act as causes) can cause or increase a problem (the effect) in a system .
With the cause and effect diagram, various kinds of situations and processes can be analyzed. The tool also helps in collecting data and can be helpful in troubleshooting the issue or defect.
To prepare a cause and effect diagram, you must first proceed to identify the problem , which must be concrete. Once this is done, it is necessary to summarize the problem in one sentence and record the causal factors. These causes must be contrasted with data.
With the diagram already developed, the examination of the causes is facilitated and thus actions are favored to improve the situation or state.