An economist noticed that nations with more TV sets have higher life expectancy.He established a strong positive association between length of life and number of TV sets.Describe three different possible cause-and-effect relationships that might be present.
A)Perhaps more TV sets cause higher life expectancy,higher life expectancy causes more TV sets,or both could be caused by a lurking variable such as the wealth of the nation.
B)There is only one cause-and-effect relationship: more TV sets cause higher life expectancy.
C)Perhaps more TV sets cause higher life expectancy,higher life expectancy causes more TV sets,or both could be caused by a lurking variable such as the TV sets brand.
D)There is only one cause-and-effect relationship: higher life expectancy causes more TV sets.
E)There are only two cause-and-effect relationships: more TV sets cause higher life expectancy,or higher life expectancy causes more TV sets.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

It is important to consider that correlation does not imply causation. Therefore, there could be different possible cause-and-effect relationships or a lurking variable that affects both variables. Option A presents these possibilities, which are more plausible than assuming a direct and one-way cause-and-effect relationship between the number of TV sets and life expectancy (options B and D). Option C also includes a specific lurking variable, but it is less likely than the wealth of the nation. Option E is incomplete because it does not account for other potential factors.

An Economist Noticed That Nations with More TV Sets Have