There seems to be a correlation between schizophrenia and poverty. It may be the case that neither causes the other. Perhaps a separate factor, such as parental income, accounts best for both schizophrenia and poverty. This illustrates a problem in assessing causality that is specific to correlational research and is called __________.
A) the third-variable problem
B) eclecticism
C) random sampling
D) response bias

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The problem described in the question is the third-variable problem, which occurs when a correlational study identifies a relationship between two variables but it is unclear whether one variable directly causes the other or if a third variable is responsible for the observed relationship.

There Seems to Be a Correlation Between Schizophrenia and Poverty