A researcher determines that the crime rate in a large city is related to the phases of the moon. She concludes that the gravitational pull of the moon influences human behavior. She does not understand
A)the dangers of a single example.
B)the difference between observation and inference.
C)the difference between correlation and causation.
D)that the Barnum effect occurs only in ten-year cycles.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The researcher is confusing correlation (the relationship between the phases of the moon and crime rates) with causation (the idea that one event causes the other). Just because two variables are correlated does not mean that one causes the other.

A Researcher Determines That the Crime Rate in a Large