Which statement is CORRECT?
A) "Correlation" and "causation" are synonyms.
B) Shortly after a new president takes office, the unemployment rate goes down. One must conclude that the new president's economic policies are responsible for the economic upturn.
C) The fact that two variables are correlated with each other does not mean that one causes the other.
D) If two variables move together, then they are causally related.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that two variables are correlated with each other does not necessarily mean that one causes the other. Correlation refers to a relationship between two variables, but it does not imply causation. Option A is incorrect because correlation and causation are not synonyms. Option B is incorrect because it makes a causal claim based on a correlation, which is an example of the fallacy of assuming causation. Option D is incorrect because correlation does not imply causation; two variables may move together without any causal relationship between them.

Which Statement Is CORRECT