Correlation and Causation

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What is correlation?

Back

Correlation is a statistical measure that describes the extent to which two variables change together. It indicates a relationship but does not imply causation.

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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 positive correlation indicate?

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A positive correlation indicates that as one variable increases, the other variable also increases.

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What does a negative correlation indicate?

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A negative correlation indicates that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases.

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Can correlation imply causation?

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No, correlation does not imply causation. Just because two variables are correlated does not mean that one causes the other.

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What is an example of causation?

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An example of causation is: 'The amount of time exercising leads to muscle growth.'

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What is an example of correlation?

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An example of correlation is: 'The number of ice creams sold and the number of people at the beach.'

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What is a spurious correlation?

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A spurious correlation is a relationship between two variables that appears to be causal but is actually caused by a third variable.

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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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What is an example of a negative correlation?

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An example of a negative correlation is: 'The number of days absent from school vs. math average.'