Correlation vs. Causation

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What is correlation?

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Correlation is a statistical measure that describes the extent to which two variables change together. It does not imply that one variable causes the other to change.

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CCSS.HSS.ID.C.9

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What is causation?

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Causation indicates that one event is the result of the occurrence of another event. It implies a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

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What does a correlation coefficient of 1 indicate?

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A correlation coefficient of 1 indicates a perfect positive correlation, meaning that as one variable increases, the other variable also increases in a perfectly linear manner.

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CCSS.HSS.ID.B.5

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What does a correlation coefficient of -1 indicate?

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A correlation coefficient of -1 indicates a perfect negative correlation, meaning that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases in a perfectly linear manner.

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CCSS.HSS.ID.B.5

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What does a correlation coefficient of 0 indicate?

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A correlation coefficient of 0 indicates no correlation between the two variables, meaning that changes in one variable do not predict changes in the other.

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CCSS.HSS.ID.B.5

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What is a strong positive correlation?

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A strong positive correlation is indicated by a correlation coefficient close to 1 (e.g., 0.7 to 1), suggesting that as one variable increases, the other variable tends to also increase.

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CCSS.HSS.ID.B.5

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What is a weak negative correlation?

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A weak negative correlation is indicated by a correlation coefficient close to 0 (e.g., -0.1 to -0.3), suggesting that there is a slight tendency for one variable to decrease as the other increases.

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CCSS.HSS.ID.B.5

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What is an example of correlation without causation?

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An example of correlation without causation is the relationship between ice cream sales and the number of sunburns; both may increase during hot weather, but one does not cause the other.

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How can you determine the strength of a correlation?

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The strength of a correlation can be determined by the correlation coefficient, which ranges from -1 to 1. Values closer to -1 or 1 indicate stronger correlations.

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CCSS.HSS.ID.B.5

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What is the difference between correlation and causation?

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Correlation indicates a relationship between two variables, while causation indicates that one variable directly affects the other.

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CCSS.HSS.ID.C.9