A study of juvenile delinquency reveals a strong correlation between illegal drug use and delinquent acts. The researcher concludes that illegal drug use is the cause of delinquent acts. Looking at the same data, another researcher comes to the conclusion that delinquent acts lead to illegal drug use. Which causal rule are both researchers forgetting here?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Both researchers are forgetting about the causal rule of temporal order, which states that the cause must precede the effect. Without establishing which variable came first, it is impossible to definitively determine which variable caused the other.

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