An extensive survey revealed that children with relatively high self-esteem tend to picture God as kind and loving,whereas those with lower self-esteem tend to perceive God as angry.The researchers concluded that the children's self-esteem had apparently influenced their views of God.This conclusion best illustrates the danger of
A) failing to construct a scatterplot.
B) generalizing from extreme examples.
C) being influenced by a confounding variable.
D) assuming that association proves causation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The conclusion drawn by the researchers is that the children's self-esteem had caused them to perceive God in a certain way. However, this is an example of assuming that association proves causation, as there may be other factors that influence both self-esteem and perception of God. Therefore, the danger illustrated in this scenario is the assumption that correlation implies causation.

An Extensive Survey Revealed That Children with Relatively High Self-Esteem