Curriculum placement
Algebra 1. This describes the skill, not a learner estimate.
Association is not causation
Distinguish association from evidence that supports a causal explanation
Problem types
- Association or causation
- Studies that can show a cause
- Decide the correlation and whether it shows causation
- Classify a described study and give the reason
Builds on
- Residuals and correlation
- Studies, experiments, and samples
- Reading slope and intercept in context · Earlier idea
A strong fitted relationship describes association. Whether it shows cause depends on how the data were collected.
- Testing a difference by randomization · Useful idea
A significant randomization test from random assignment supports a causal conclusion.
- Checking a chance model by simulation · Useful idea
Simulating random assignment shows how large a difference can arise by chance before a causal claim is made.
Leads to
- Reading a statistical report critically · See it applied
Judging whether a report's causal claim is justified depends on its study design.
Related skills
- Association in a two-way table · Related idea
A strong association in a two-way table does not show that one variable causes the other.
- A distribution built from frequencies · Related idea
Reshuffling treatment labels many times builds an empirical distribution of differences, against which an observed difference supporting a causal claim is judged.
- A procedure that gives each outcome a fair chance · Related idea
Random assignment is a fair random procedure that gives every subject the same chance of each treatment.
- Asking a statistical question · Related idea
A question that expects variability can ask about an effect, and a study design decides whether the answer supports a cause.
- Margin of error and what a sample supports · Shared foundations
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