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 use operational definitions.
B) generalizing from extreme examples.
C) being influenced by a confounding variable.
D) assuming that association proves causation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The conclusion that the children's self-esteem influenced their views of God implies causation, which may not be true since correlation does not necessarily indicate causation. This illustrates the danger of assuming that association proves causation.

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