Imagine the following correlation: The more overweight the child, the slower his or her running speed. Given only this information, which of the following could be true?
A) Being overweight causes children to run slower.
B) Children who are slow runners are at a higher risk of being overweight.
C) Having respiratory problems such as asthma as a child can cause children to run slower and to become overweight.
D) Both A and B are possible.
E) All of the above could explain the correlation - the researcher would need to do more to find out if any are actually true.

Question

Imagine the following correlation: The more overweight the child, the slower his or her running speed. Given only this information, which of the following could be true?
A) Being overweight causes children to run slower.
B) Children who are slow runners are at a higher risk of being overweight.
C) Having respiratory problems such as asthma  as a child can cause children to run slower and to become overweight.
D) Both A and B are possible.
E) All of the above could explain the correlation - the researcher would need to do more to find out if any are actually true.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correlation between a child's weight and running speed does not imply causation on its own. Each of the provided explanations (A, B, and C) could potentially explain the observed correlation, but further research would be necessary to determine the actual cause(s). Therefore, all of the options are possible explanations for the correlation.

Imagine the Following Correlation: the More Overweight the Child, the Slower