Imagine that the average annual temperature among geographic regions is plotted on the x-axis of a graph, and the spiciness of local food (ranked on a relative "spiciness" scale)in that region is plotted on the y-axis. If the data conform to a very tight relationship, for example, if the hotness of local food increases as the average annual temperature increases, then what can be concluded?
A) The spiciness of local food does not correlate with the average annual temperature in a region.
B) Food is spicy in warm climates because the environmental conditions (warm temperatures) make local foods more spicy.
C) The relationship between the two variables is not correlation, but it is actually an example of causation.
D) Spiciness of food and annual average temperature are correlated, but the relationship is not the result of causation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The data shows a correlation between spiciness and temperature, but correlation does not imply causation. There could be other factors influencing both variables.

Imagine That the Average Annual Temperature Among Geographic Regions Is