"reflect" or "is reflected in"?

Actually, we find that while soft drink consumption has gone up in the U.S., tooth decay has gone down. This reflects a study by the University of Reading which found no clear link between the two. So, I'd have to agree that more factors than the sugar in soda contribute to tooth decay.

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I met with this one. I wondered what if we replaced "reflects" with "is reflected in"? Would that change the meaning? Which would be better to make sense?

I think either would be ok but they express different things.

"This reflects a study by the University of Reading which found no clear link between the two."
These findings are similar to those in study X.

"This is reflected in a study by the University of Reading which found no clear link between the two."
This phenomenon also appears in the findings of study X.

When "reflects" is used, it's saying that the the find in soft drink consumption and tooth decay is doing the reflecting upon the study by the University of Reading. If you use "is reflected in" then it would say that the study by the University of Reading is doing the reflecting upon the soft drink/tooth decay find. But I really doubt that anyone would even notice the difference when hearing or reading either one. It's very subtle and I think you could use either and still convey the same thing.

The meanings are quite similar in this case. In other examples there's sometimes a direct/passive element.

The water reflects the sky
The sky is reflected (where? by who?) in the water.

Also, not to be a nit-picker but, you posted:

Which would be better to make sense?

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I'd say "Which would make better sense?" or "Which would make more sense?"

I would think that "this is reflected by a study ..." sounds better, meaning that the study by the University reflects the findings by "we" (whoever "we" are).

Long time no see, thanks everyone as always

Geostigma said:

When "reflects" is used, it's saying that the the find in soft drink consumption and tooth decay is doing the reflecting upon the study by the University of Reading. If you use "is reflected in" then it would say that the study by the University of Reading is doing the reflecting upon the soft drink/tooth decay find. But I really doubt that anyone would even notice the difference when hearing or reading either one. It's very subtle and I think you could use either and still convey the same thing.

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Does "do the reflecting" mean "make itself reflect" or "make other objects reflect"?

I was just trying to say that by using "is reflected in" in that situation, it would say that the university of reading study is reflecting the soft drink/tooth decay find instead of the other way around as found in your quote. I could have explained that better, my apologies.

I see a difference in meaning.

I'd say that when using "reflects", it implies that this study was done after the other, whereas "is reflected in" implies that this study was done first and the study by the University of Reading was done after and showed similar results.

Thanks!

Would I be on the right track to compare "the study" to "the Moon", and "the soft drink/tooth decay find" to "light from the Sun" in order to understand the sentence? It's based on the idea that the sentence "the Moon reflects light from the Sun" is easier to understand.

Yes, I think you could look at it like that, in a metaphorical kind of way.

The study by the University of Reading is doing the reflecting upon the soft drink/tooth decay find.

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the Moon reflects light from the Sun

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hmm, these two sentences are a little different. First of all, when you add the preposition 'upon' (I think its a preposition I may be wrong) you're changing the direction of the verb completely. To reflect 'on' or 'upon' something is different from something being reflected 'in' something else. Examples:

'After the fight she reflected on his words and became even more upset.'
'I sat by the lake and reflected upon the days events.'

The rough translation of 'reflect on/upon' is 'to think about', 'to ponder', 'to consider heavily', etc. Your example makes the U of Reading study a subject, which is thinking about the new information on tooth decay.

If you want one thing to directly mirror or conform to another thing, the particle 'in' must be used, or the verb must be used without any prepositions. Your second example about the moon is correct. Another way to say it with the word 'by' is:

'The sunlight is reflected by the moon.'

To return to your first example, you could get away with saying:

'The findings on tooth decay are reflected by a study done by the University of Reading.' In my mind this sentence makes the study come first, and the new findings are secondary information which confirm the original study. This has a slightly longer timeline to it, such that the author might be using one item to give strength to the other en route to some conclusion.

Your originally quoted example:
'This (the findings on tooth decay) reflects a study done by the University of Reading.' This sentence, to me, means that the two results resemble one another closely and may have even been done around the same time period. The author is trying to emphasize a point, these two pieces of research are pointing to that same result, with both being of equal value.

Thanks!!!

kanadajin said:

'The findings on tooth decay are reflected by a study done by the University of Reading.' In my mind this sentence makes the study come first, and the new findings are secondary information which confirm the original study.

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Which does "come first" mean, "happens first chronologically" or "come first in importance"?

Come first as in chronologically, the study pre-exists the new findings.