Dr.Puffer has conducted a correlational study and reported that smoking causes depression.He has failed to consider that both smoking and depression could be caused by some other variable,such as temperament or stress.This scenario reflects what problem within the correlation-causation fallacy?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scenario presented reflects the third variable problem, which refers to the possibility that the correlation between two variables might be due to the influence of a third variable on both variables. In this case, Dr. Puffer has not controlled for variables such as temperament or stress that could influence both smoking and depression, leading to a spurious correlation.

DrPuffer Has Conducted a Correlational Study and Reported That Smoking