Which of the following statements is an example of confusing association and causation?
A) Senator Jones believes that more tax revenue should be distributed to the poor.
B) A map includes roads, but not every restaurant, telephone pole, and
C) Interest rates rise when it rains, all other factors constant.
D) When the price of Coca-Cola increases, consumers buy more Pepsi, all other factors constant.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Statement C is an example of confusing association (correlation) and causation. It suggests a direct causal relationship between rain and rising interest rates, which is unlikely to be causally related. Instead, this could be an example of a spurious correlation, where two variables appear to be related but are actually influenced by other factors or are coincidentally occurring at the same time.

Which of the Following Statements Is an Example of Confusing