A researcher finds a strong correlation between shoe size and reading ability in primary school children - the larger the shoe size the better a child is at reading.However, this does not mean having a large shoe size causes a child to read well.Instead, an intervening variable - age - causes both shoe size and reading ability to increase.This accidental relationship between shoe size and reading ability is known as

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The accidental relationship between shoe size and reading ability is known as a spurious correlation, as it is not a causal relationship but rather due to the common influence of a third variable (age) on both.

A Researcher Finds a Strong Correlation Between Shoe Size and Reading