A researcher observed that people who have a large number of pets also live in houses with more bathrooms than people with fewer pets.Which of the following conclusions might be correct?
A) Having a large number of bathrooms causes people to buy fewer pets.
B) Having many pets causes people to buy houses with fewer bathrooms.
C) Some other variable may cause people to buy larger houses and to have more pets.
D) Having many pets causes people to spend more time in the bathroom.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of a correlation (having a large number of pets and more bathrooms) without a clear causation. It is possible that another variable, such as income or lifestyle, is causing people to have larger houses with more bathrooms and also own more pets. It is important to consider other potential variables before making a conclusion about the relationship between pet ownership and bathroom count. Choices A, B, and D are unlikely explanations based on the information given.

A Researcher Observed That People Who Have a Large Number