Question

Provide a specific reason why finding a correlation between two variables does not support a hypothesis...

Provide a specific reason why finding a correlation between two variables does not support a hypothesis that one causes the other?

Homework Answers

Answer #1

A specific reason why finding a correlation between two variables does not support a hypothesis that one causes the other :

Both the variables are related to a third Confounding Variable which affects both the variables.

Example:
Just because we get a high positive correlation between Sale of Ice cream and Death by drowning, we cannot conclude that Ice cream causes death by drowning. The actual reason is that both the variables: Sale of Ice cream and Death by drowning are related to a third Confounding Variable: Hot Summer. Since it is Hot Summer, Ice Cream Sale is very high. Also since it is Hot Summer, many people play in water, which sometimes causes death by drowning.

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