Donna was studying her research data and said to fellow researcher Carl that she believed she had discovered a causal relationship.What would Carl expect Donna to provide as support for her assertion?
A) that Donna's data included a single observation of an event that followed another and appears to be causally connected
B) that Donna's theoretical explanations were based on time-honoured beliefs about what causes what
C) that two variables in Donna's data had occurred simultaneously without any impact from other causes
D) that two variables in Donna's data were associated sequentially and nonspuriously,and she could explain how the causation would happen

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Donna would need to provide evidence that two variables in her data were sequentially associated and nonspuriously linked, and that she could explain how the causation would occur. This is the strongest form of evidence for a causal relationship in research. Option A is incorrect because a single observation does not establish causality. Option B is incorrect because theoretical explanations must be supported by empirical evidence, not just tradition. Option C is incorrect because the existence of simultaneous events does not necessarily indicate a causal relationship.

Donna Was Studying Her Research Data and Said to Fellow