Suppose there is a correlation of +0.87 between the length of time a person is in prison and the amount of aggression the person displays on a psychological inventory. This means that spending a longer amount of time in prison causes people to become more aggressive.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Correlation does not imply causation, so we cannot conclude that longer time in prison causes people to become more aggressive. It is possible that there is a third variable that is causing both the length of time in prison and the aggression. Alternatively, it could be that more aggressive individuals are being sentenced to longer prison terms.

Suppose There Is a Correlation of +0