When the Hometown football team is winning by a lot of points after halftime, they often play their second and third team players. One of the coaches notices that when the third team plays that Hometown wins by a bigger margin than when just the first team plays. He recommends that the third team see more playing time as a result. What is wrong with his way of thinking?
A) association is not causation
B) it is a violation of ceteris paribus
C) the fallacy of composition
D) good intentions do not guarantee desirable outcomes

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The coach is assuming that the third team's playing time causes the larger margin of victory, but correlation does not imply causation. Other factors could contribute to the larger margin.

When the Hometown Football Team Is Winning by a Lot