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Scientific Method in Sociology
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In sociological research, which of the following statements best illustrates the difference between correlation and causation?

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Choose the Best Answer

A

Increased ice cream sales are associated with higher temperatures, indicating that ice cream consumption causes warm weather.

B

A rise in educational attainment correlates with higher income levels, suggesting education causes increased earnings.

C

There is a correlation between the number of firefighters and the amount of fire damage, implying more firefighters cause more damage.

D

A significant correlation is found between social media usage and anxiety levels, but this does not imply that social media causes anxiety.

Understanding the Answer

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Answer

In sociological research, correlation means that two things are related or change together, but it doesn't mean one causes the other. For example, if we find that people who eat more ice cream also tend to swim more, this is a correlation. However, it doesn’t mean eating ice cream causes people to swim; instead, both might be influenced by the warm weather. Causation, on the other hand, means that one event directly causes another event to happen. So, while correlation shows a connection, causation proves that one thing is responsible for the change in another.

Detailed Explanation

This answer shows that just because two things happen together, it doesn't mean one causes the other. Other options are incorrect because This suggests ice cream causes warm weather, which is silly; This implies education directly causes higher income.

Key Concepts

correlation vs causation
Topic

Scientific Method in Sociology

Difficulty

easy level question

Cognitive Level

understand

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