Suppose we observed that the more firefighters there were at a fire site, the greater the amount of fire damage. Suppose we also observed that the size of the fire was related to both the amount of damage and the number of firefighters present. The relationship between numbers of firefighters and the amount of fire damage illustrates that:
A)the relationship between the two variables is causal.
B)the number of firefighters causes the damage.
C)the relationship between firefighters and the amount of damage is spurious.
D)the number of firefighters at a fire may cause the amount of damage.
E)the amount of damage at a fire causes firefighters to appear at the fire.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The relationship between firefighters and the amount of damage is spurious. This means that there is a third variable that affects both the number of firefighters and the amount of damage. It could be that the size of the fire is the real cause of both the number of firefighters and the amount of damage, for example. Therefore, we cannot conclude that the number of firefighters causes the damage.

Suppose We Observed That the More Firefighters There Were at a Fire