Analyzing Correlation and Causation Essay Paper

This week\’s Introduction about ice cream sales and crime rates was an example of correlation being mistaken for causation. In this Discussion, you will identify and analyze a real-world correlation and decide whether it truly shows causation.

To prepare for this Discussion:
• Review the Concepts and Applications exercises on pages 319–320 of your text, where you will find several problems describing real-life examples of correlation and causation. Think about how you might respond to the questions posed.
• Think about what real-life situations you have noticed that might show a correlation between two things. Perhaps it\’s a relationship between two events you\’ve observed. Or maybe you read online or in a newspaper that as one thing changes, so does another.
• Determine whether the correlation is positive or negative.
• Describe how someone might infer that one event \”causes\” the other.
• Decide if this causation is reasonable, or if there is another explanation for why the two events are correlated. How might you decide, using scientific methods, whether one variable actually causes the other to occur?

Post a 1- to 2-paragraph write-up including the following:
• Describe a correlation in your daily life.
• Using scientific methods, explain how you determined whether one variable causes the other to occur.
• In the example you chose, describe what factors you need to be aware of when trying to establish a causal relationship.
• Decide whether the scenario represents a case of positive or negative correlation, and explain your choice. Analyzing Correlation and Causation Essay Paper
Be sure to support your ideas by connecting them to the week\’s Learning Resources or to something you have read, heard, seen, or experience

Analyzing correlation and causation

• Describe a correlation in your daily life.

An example of correlation in daily life is the positive correlation between the length of time electronics (such as the air conditioner, fridge, television and so on) stay on in my house and the amount of money I spend on the electricity bill. In this case, the more time the electronics stay on the higher the amount of money I have to pay on electricity bill. The reverse is equally true such that the less time the electronics stay on the less money I am required to pay on electricity bills.

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• How to determine

The length of time the electronics stay on and the electricity bill are the two variables for the correlation. The length of time the electronics stay on is the independent variable since it can be directly controlled or changed in a scientific experiment. The electricity bill is the dependent variable since the effects of changes in the independent variable can be measured through changes in the electricity bill (Schwester, 2015).

• Factors for a causal relationship.

In trying to establish the causal relationship between the dependent and independent variables, there is a need to be aware of the extraneous variables. These are factors that can influence the results and should be controlled in order to establish a true causal relationship. Given the nature of the independent and dependent variables, there is a need to control the technology variables. That is because two forms of the same technology could use different electricity units over the same period of time. In addition, the technology should have the same setting since some settings are intended to save electricity while some are intended to maximize electricity use thus using different electricity units over the same period of time (Goodwin, J. & Goodwin, K., 2017).

• Positive or negative correlation

The scenario represents a case of positive correlation. That is because increasing the independent variable causes the dependent variable to increase, while decreasing the independent variable causes the dependent variable to decrease (Goodwin, J. & Goodwin, K., 2017).

References

Goodwin, J. & Goodwin, K. (2017). Research in psychology methods and design (8^th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Schwester, R. (2015). Teaching research methods in public administration. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. Analyzing Correlation and Causation Essay Paper