Pessimism and other symptoms of depression can set the stage for negative life events, but at the same time negative life events can also lead to pessimism and other symptoms of depression. The uncertainty of the direction by which these relationships exist indicates the importance of remembering the principle of ________.

Question

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The principle of correlation versus causation reminds us to be cautious about drawing causal conclusions from correlational data, as it is possible that the relationship may not be causal at all but rather due to other variables. In this case, the relationship between pessimism/depression and negative life events could be bidirectional, meaning that either variable could be causing the other or they could be influenced by some other factor. Therefore, it is important to consider other possible explanations and not jump to conclusions about causation.

Pessimism and Other Symptoms of Depression Can Set the Stage