Ceteris paribus when graphing a relationship refers to
A) letting all the variables change at once.
B) changing the origin of the graph.
C) holding constant all but two variables.
D) rescaling the coordinates.
E) swapping the axes so that the x-axis is the vertical axis and the y-axis is the horizontal axis.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ceteris paribus means "all other things being equal". Therefore, when graphing a relationship, holding constant all but two variables (choice C) allows us to isolate the relationship between those two variables while holding all other factors constant. This helps to avoid the potential confounding effects of other variables and produce a clearer picture of the relationship of interest.

Ceteris Paribus When Graphing a Relationship Refers to