Researcher Sandy Beach found a correlation coefficient of +2.3 between variables X and Y. She is thrilled because that correlation is "like, way high." She also feels that this answer "proves that X is 'like, causing Y.'" What are three problems with Sandyâs conclusions?

Question

Researcher Sandy Beach found a correlation coefficient of +2.3 between variables X and Y. She is thrilled because that correlation is "like, way high." She also feels that this answer "proves that X is 'like, causing Y.'" What are three problems with Sandyâs conclusions?

kirbykirby · Answer

Lool well I have to laugh first because, I love how the problem included responses "like, way high" haha.

kirbykirby · Answer

Well the correlation coefficient is a number between -1 and +1, so I'm not sure what she actually calculated lol. 

So her statement of it being a high number is meaningless as well. 

Also you cannot really say X is causing Y. Proving causality is a lot trickier and shouldn't be said without rigorous testing (like a randomized experimental design). If two variables are correlated, it does imply that one is causing the other since there may be lurking variables. She could probably say there is a high correlation, but  it's hard to say even that because her correlation coefficient isn't even a possible value.