Sitting in the park one sunny day,Chaim notices that people who are walking dogs smile at him more often than people without dogs.Chaim concludes that people who own dogs are happier than those who do not own dogs.Based on the principles of psychological research there are many problems with Chaim's conclusion.What is the biggest problem?
A) Just because someone is walking a dog doesn't mean the person owns that dog.
B) Chaim did not observe people with cats before coming to his conclusion.
C) Correlation does not prove causation;the association may be spurious.
D) Chaim did not operationalize dogs.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The biggest problem with Chaim's conclusion is that correlation does not prove causation. Just because people who are walking dogs smile at him more often than people without dogs, it does not necessarily mean that those who own dogs are happier than those who do not own dogs. There may be other factors involved, such as the fact that dog owners may be more likely to engage in outdoor activities or have a more positive outlook on life in general. Thus, without further research, it is not possible to draw a definitive conclusion about whether dog ownership is related to happiness.

Sitting in the Park One Sunny Day,Chaim Notices That People