If a researcher finds that there is a correlation between secondhand smoke and children's asthma, he knows for SURE that _____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A correlation between two variables only suggests that they have some connection, but it does not necessarily mean that one variable causes the other. Therefore, the researcher cannot know for sure that secondhand smoke causes children's asthma, but he knows that there is a connection between the two. Option A is incorrect because the researcher cannot make a causal claim based on a correlation study. Option B is incorrect because the correlation suggests that there is a connection, which means that secondhand smoke cannot be ruled out as a potential contributor to children's asthma. Option C is also incorrect because the study did not measure smoke exposure before birth so it cannot make a claim about asthma development in utero.

If a Researcher Finds That There Is a Correlation Between