The sale of ice cream cones and the number of children who drown in swimming pools in Chicago both increase during the summer months. The increase in ice cream cone sales and children drowned are probably both explained by rising temperatures. When the temperature rises, a large number of people purchase ice cream to stay cool. Also, a large number of people go swimming and accidentally drown. This suggests that there is a ________between ice cream sales and the number of drownings.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct answer is C) spurious correlation because the relationship between ice cream sales and drownings is coincidental, both influenced by a third factor (rising temperatures), rather than one causing the other.

The Sale of Ice Cream Cones and the Number of Children