Advil vs Tylenol

Have you seen this commercial yet?

 

Well, it drives me nuts!!! It's clearly (I hope) not a real research study, and just a marketing ploy, but I don't know how obvious that is to everyone who does not have a bachelor of science degree. So I'll just use it as a teaching tip about some things to look out for when considering the validity of research.

1. Pay attention to variables. The thing that drives me most insane about this commercial is that Advil and Tylenol are NOT THE SAME. Advil is ibuprofen, while Tylenol is acetaminophen. This means that the "study" is not actually testing the name brand, but the type of medication. You can get the CVS brand of either. When analyzing a study, see what the researcher is trying to test, and decide if that's what they actually are testing. This is more relevant is studies that test abstract things, like intelligence. Do the researchers' variables of intelligence match your own? Are they accurate? There's a little more leway with something abstract, as there may be more than one correct definition, but differences in medication types are pretty solid, and the commercial is misleading.

AND

2. Who did the research? And who funded it? I am less likely to believe a research study on the health benefits of orange juice if it was funded by the Pepsi Company. (But Pepsi is soda, you say. That makes no sense, you say? Pepsi also owns Tropicana, I say). I am more likely to believe a study on the health benefits of orange juice conducted by a hospital or other source. Therefore, a study about Advil, conducted by Advil is just a little too fishy for me to swallow. This isn't only about funding though. There is lots of research bias types out there. Make sure you're paying attention to them all!