1.1.9—Changing perspectives
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2026
- Objective
- 1.1.9
- Level
- SL
A Trend Shows Change, Not One Cause
Environmental perspectives can change when new information, campaigns, policies, prices or events alter what people experience; a before–after trend does not isolate one cause.
Use timing as a clue, then check competing explanations and comparison evidence. Government or NGO campaigns may contribute without being the sole driver.
Recycling rises after a campaign, but a new collection service and a landfill fee began at the same time; the graph alone cannot assign all credit.
A comparison group or evidence that other conditions stayed similar would make the causal inference stronger.
A trend after a campaign is evidence of change, not automatic proof of campaign-only causation.