Correlation vs. Causation: Real-World Insights for 8th Graders

A study shows that as ice cream sales increase, the number of people visiting the beach also increases. What type of relationship is this?

• No correlation

• Inverse correlation

• Positive correlation

• Negative correlation

In a survey, students who study more hours tend to have higher grades. Does this mean studying more causes higher grades? Why or why not?

• Higher grades are only achieved by studying longer hours.

• No, studying more does not necessarily cause higher grades.

• Studying more is the only factor that affects grades.

• Studying more always leads to better grades.

A researcher finds that cities with more parks have lower crime rates. Can we conclude that having more parks causes lower crime rates? Explain your reasoning.

• No, we cannot conclude that having more parks causes lower crime rates.

• Parks are the only factor influencing crime rates.

• More parks directly lead to lower crime rates.

• Cities with fewer parks have higher crime rates.

A graph shows that as the temperature rises, the number of fans sold also increases. What does this indicate about the relationship between temperature and fan sales?

• There is no relationship between temperature and fan sales.

• Fan sales decrease as temperature rises.

• Fan sales are only affected by humidity levels.

• There is a positive correlation between temperature and fan sales.

A school notices that students who participate in sports tend to have better attendance. Is this a correlation or causation? Justify your answer.

• correlation

• random chance

• no relationship

• causation

A report indicates that as the number of hours spent on social media increases, the amount of sleep decreases. What can we infer about this relationship?

• Increased sleep leads to more social media usage.

• There is no relationship between social media and sleep.

• Increased social media usage is associated with decreased sleep.

• Social media usage improves sleep quality.

A farmer observes that when he uses more fertilizer, his crop yield increases. Is this an example of correlation or causation? Explain your answer.

• correlation

• no relationship

• inverse correlation

• causation

A study finds that students who eat breakfast perform better on tests. Can we say that eating breakfast causes better test performance? Why or why not?

• Eating breakfast guarantees higher test scores.

• Students who skip breakfast always perform worse on tests.

• Eating breakfast is the only factor affecting test performance.

• No, we cannot say that eating breakfast causes better test performance.

A correlation exists between the number of hours spent studying and test scores. How can we apply this information in a real-world context?

• Studying less can lead to better test scores.

• Test scores are solely determined by natural intelligence.

• Increasing distractions while studying improves retention.

• Students should increase their study hours to improve test scores.

A graph shows a positive correlation between the number of books read and vocabulary size. What implications does this have for encouraging reading among students?

• Reading has no impact on vocabulary size.

• Students should focus on math instead of reading.

• Vocabulary size decreases with more reading.

• Encouraging reading among students can enhance their vocabulary size and language skills.