11.8 - Causation vs. Correlation

Front

What is the difference between causation and correlation?

Back

Causation indicates that one event causes another, while correlation indicates that two events are related but one does not cause the other.

Front

Define correlation.

Back

Correlation is a statistical measure that describes the extent to which two variables change together.

Front

What does a correlation coefficient of 0 indicate?

Back

A correlation coefficient of 0 indicates no correlation between the two variables.

Front

What does a positive correlation mean?

Back

A positive correlation means that as one variable increases, the other variable also tends to increase.

Front

What does a negative correlation mean?

Back

A negative correlation means that as one variable increases, the other variable tends to decrease.

Front

What is an example of a spurious correlation?

Back

An example of a spurious correlation is the relationship between ice cream sales and drowning incidents; both increase in summer but one does not cause the other.

Front

What is the range of correlation coefficients?

Back

The range of correlation coefficients is from -1 to +1.

Front

What does a correlation coefficient of +1 indicate?

Back

A correlation coefficient of +1 indicates a perfect positive correlation between two variables.

Front

What does a correlation coefficient of -1 indicate?

Back

A correlation coefficient of -1 indicates a perfect negative correlation between two variables.

Front

How can correlation be misinterpreted?

Back

Correlation can be misinterpreted as causation, leading to false conclusions about the relationship between variables.