Daniel conducts a study looking at the relationship between exercise and depression and finds there is a negative correlation.Daniel concludes that exercise causes people to become less depressed.However,a colleague points out the possibility that less depressed people may simply be more likely to exercise.This represents a problem in interpreting correlations best known as ____________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The problem of direction in interpreting correlations arises because a correlation between two variables does not indicate which, if either, variable is the cause of changes in the other. In this case, it's unclear whether exercise reduces depression or if less depressed individuals are more inclined to exercise.

Daniel Conducts a Study Looking at the Relationship Between Exercise