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 occur before the effect. Without establishing that illegal drug use occurs before delinquent acts, or vice versa, it is impossible to make a definitive causal claim.

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