consider the difference between correlation and causation. How would you describe these two terms to a fellow coworker? Why is it misleading to argue that correlational data demonstrates a cause-effect relationship?
Locate an article that demonstrates either correlation or causation. Describe, the methodology that was used in the study and the results that were obtained. What conclusions can be stated from the data? If your study used correlation, what is the danger of arguing that one variable caused the other? If your study used causation, what are the limitations of applying a causal relationship identified in research to a real-world setting?
Sample Answer
Explaining Correlation vs. Causation to a Coworker
"Hey [Coworker's Name], you know how we often look at data to understand trends? Well, there's a really important distinction between two terms: correlation and causation.
"Correlation basically means that two things tend to happen together or move in the same direction. For example, you might notice that on days when we sell more umbrellas, there's also more rain. So, umbrella sales and rain are correlated – they appear to be related. But that doesn't mean umbrella sales cause rain, or vice versa. They just happen at the same time because of a third factor, like a weather forecast predicting rain.