A study of adults reports a correlation of r = 0.6 between daily step count and self-reported energy level. Which statement most accurately describes what this correlation coefficient tells the reader?
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Evidence-Based Practice & Basic Statistics · Core Topics
Correlation vs Causation
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This topic is taught through its practice: 12 practice questions, each with the reasoning behind the answer, and the same idea again in plain words.
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In a hypothetical controlled experiment, a plant-growth supplement is applied to one group and withheld from an otherwise identical group; the treated group's average height score rises from 40 to 52 units while the untreated group stays at 40. Which term names a relationship in which changing one variable produces the change in another?
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Two variables in a large observational data set correlate at r = 0.85. Which statement best explains the principle that 'correlation does not imply causation'?
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A city's monthly ice cream sales correlate with its monthly number of drowning incidents at r = 0.7. Which explanation best accounts for this correlation without either variable influencing the other?
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A community survey finds that adults who report using more over-the-counter pain relievers also report higher pain scores (r = 0.55). Which alternative explanation illustrates reverse causation?
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