A study observed a positive association between number of insurance claims and income of the insured. On further analysis, it was found that the age of the insured had a strong positive association with income and helped explain the variation in the number of claims. What term is used to define the association between claims and income?
A) spurious
B) nonspurious
C) temporal order
D) causal order

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The term "spurious" is used to describe an association between two variables that appears to be causal but is actually explained by the influence of one or more other variables. In this case, the association between the number of insurance claims and income is explained by the age of the insured, making the initial observed association between claims and income spurious.

A Study Observed a Positive Association Between Number of Insurance