Module 6 Correlation and Experimentation

LEARNING TARGETS

• 6-1 Explain what it means when we say two things are correlated, and describe positive and negative correlations.
• 6-2 Discuss why correlations enable prediction but not cause-effect explanation.
• 6-3 Explain illusory correlations and regression toward the mean.
• 6-4 Describe the characteristics of experimentation that make it possible to isolate cause and effect.

Study finds that increased parental support for college results in lower grades” (Jaschik, 2013). “People with mental illness are more likely to be smokers” (Belluck, 2013).

What should we make of such news headlines? Do these correlations indicate that students would achieve more if their parents became less supportive, and that stopping smoking could produce better mental health? No. Read on.