Which of the following statements is accurate with regard to the observation that "income levels in countries hard hit by malaria are 33% lower than in similar countries free of the disease."
A) This observation suggests that symptoms from malaria cause patients to lose pay because they miss work.
B) This observation is an example of a correlation and therefore causality cannot be inferred as confidently as if we have results from a manipulated experiment.
C) In order to understand the cause of this observation, scientists should eradicate malaria in ten countries but not in ten other comparable countries in order to experimentally test whether malaria caused the low income levels.
D) The observation demonstrates that correlations provide excellent indications of causality.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The observation is an example of a correlation between malaria and income levels, but it does not prove causality. There could be other factors that contribute to differences in income levels between countries with and without malaria. Without a controlled experiment, causality cannot be inferred confidently. Options A, C, and D are inaccurate. Option A suggests that symptoms of malaria cause patients to lose pay, which is a possible factor, but the observation does not confirm this. Option C suggests an experiment that is not ethical, and option D is inaccurate because correlations do not always indicate causality.

Which of the Following Statements Is Accurate with Regard to the Observation