alleryStart learning →Two variables can be correlated for which of these reasons?
AEither causation or a third factor
BOnly because one causes the other
COnly because of measurement error
DOnly in laboratory settings
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Either causation or a third factor
1. A correlation is a pattern, not an explanation.
2. Variables are sometimes correlated because one does cause the other.
3. It could also be that some other factor, a confounding variable, is actually causing the systematic movement in our variables of interest.
4. Both possibilities remain open until an experiment separates them.
5. That is exactly why correlation does not indicate causation.
_Source: OpenStax Psychology 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 2 'Psychological Research', sections 2.1-2.4_
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