The association between authoritative parenting and the social competence of children might result from an underlying third factor such as shared genes.This best reminds us that
A) socially mature children evoke parental trust.
B) imprinting occurs during a restricted critical period.
C) we overestimate the value of secure attachments.
D) correlation is not causation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is a classic example of the fact that correlation does not imply causation. Just because there is a correlation between authoritative parenting and the social competence of children, it does not mean that authoritative parenting causes social competence. There could be other variables at play, such as shared genes, which are responsible for both.

The Association Between Authoritative Parenting and the Social Competence of Children