A-Z Popular Blog Top Search »
Data
 Advertisements
Statistical Analysis
Misuses of Statistics
top   »  science   »  statistical analysis   »  misuse of statistics   »  correlation vs causation

Correlation vs Causation

 , updated on November 21, 2016
Correlation is a relationship between two things. Causation is a specific relationship between two things where one causes the other.
It is extremely common for correlation to be confused with causation. In other words, when two things are related it is tempting to think that one causes the other.
The assumption that correlation implies causation, is considered a logical fallacy known as questionable cause. It is a common reason for mistakes in science, business, legal proceedings and professions such as medicine.
Consider data that shows that gray cars are statistically involved in less accidents than other colors of car in a particular city. It might be tempting to conclude that gray is a safer color for cars. However, there are a large number of alternative factors that could explain the data. People who buy gray cars may be older or more conservative in their driving habits. Alternatively, gray cars may be likely to be a certain type of model. For example, it may be rare for sports cars to be gray.
Overview: Correlation vs Causation
TypeStatistical Fallacy
Correlation DefinitionA relationship between things.
Causation DefinitionOne thing that causes another
Related RulesCorrelation does not imply causation
Related ConceptsApples & Oranges
Questionable Cause
Cognitive Biases

Statistical Analysis

This is the complete list of articles we have written about statistical analysis.
Cohort
Data Science
Distributions
Exponential Growth
Forecasting
Growth
Misuse of Statistics
Negative Correlation
Populations
Positive Correlation
Research
Samples
Statistics
Structured Data
More ...
If you enjoyed this page, please consider bookmarking Simplicable.
 
Cite »

Cognitive Biases

A list of common cognitive biases explained.

Top

Simplicable is a modern encyclopedia that has been updated daily since 2010.

Business Theory

A list of interesting business theories.

Knowledge Work

A definition of knowledge work with examples.

Office Politics

A list of social processes, absurdities and strategies related to office politics.

Product Development

A guide to product development.

Types Of Knowledge

The differences between types of knowledge.

Trough Of Sorrow

An overview of the trough of sorrow.

Business Models

A list of common business models.

Marketing

A list of key marketing strategies.

Competitive Advantage

A few sources of competitive advantage for businesses.

Trending

The most popular articles on Simplicable in the past day.

New Articles

Recent posts or updates on Simplicable.
Site Map
Computer Science
Computing
Data Quality
Data Science
Design Thinking
Education
Engineering
Experiments
Fallacies
Falsifiability
Logic
Materials
Nature
Physics
Reliability Engineering
Research
Robotics
Science
Space
Statistical Analysis
Systems
Systems Theory
Systems Thinking
More ...
© 2010-2023 Simplicable. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of materials found on this site, in any form, without explicit permission is prohibited.

View credits & copyrights or citation information for this page.

Home About     Privacy Policy     Cookies Terms of Use     Contact Us Search


Cookies help us deliver our services. You have choices regarding these cookies. Please visit our privacy policy, cookie policy and consent tool to learn more.


Copyright 2002-2023 Simplicable. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed or translated. Report violations here.