Asked by C.W

Which of the following best explains why a correlation between two variables does not always mean one causes the other?

(1 point)

A third, unobserved factor may be the actual cause for both variables.

Correlated variables must always be completely independent of one another.

A correlation is only a scientific theory, while a causation is a proven law.

Causation can only be established when there is no correlation present.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
A third, unobserved factor may be the actual cause for both variables.

Explanation: correlation can arise from confounding variables, reverse causation, or coincidence, so a correlation alone doesn't prove one variable causes the other.