Which of these is a reason why cause and effect is NOT assumed in correlational studies?
A) We know the direction of the relationship between the variables.
B) We know which variable came first to cause the effect in the other variable.
C) There could be another variable that causes the effect in both variables of interest.
D) We do not know the direction of the relationship but we do know which variable came first.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Correlational studies only show that variables are related, but do not assume causation because there could be an unknown third variable influencing the relationship between the two variables of interest. Options A, B, and D all have an assumption of causation, which is not a characteristic of correlational designs.

Which of These Is a Reason Why Cause and Effect