Q. 4.131 - Elementary Statistics

Question

Answer true or false to the following statement and provide a reason for your answer: If there is a very strong positive correlation between two variables, a causal relationship exists between the two variables.

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

False. It is not necessary that a positive correlation between $2$ variables implies a causal relationship among them.

Step 1: Given Information

To find whether the statement is true or false, also need to give a statement to support our answer. 

Step 2: Explanation

Positive correlation: - When one variable increases, the second variable increases as well, and when one variable decreases, the second variable decreases as well.

It is not always true that a positive correlation between two variables implies that they have a casual relationship.

It differs from one variable to the next, as well as from one situation to the next.

For instance, a positive correlation between two variables does not imply a causal relationship between them.

Even if carbon dioxide emissions and obesity both increased in the 1990s, this does not suggest that carbon dioxide was the primary cause of obesity increases in that year.

Conclusion: A positive correlation between two variables does not always imply a causal relationship between them.