Which situation describes a correlation that is less likely a causal relationship?

Question

Responses

Taking aspirin daily, and likelihood of a heart attack
Taking aspirin daily, and likelihood of a heart attack

The more time you spend driving with an instructor, the better the chance of passing your driver's test on first attempt
The more time you spend driving with an instructor, the better the chance of passing your driver's test on first attempt

When there is more protein in a basketball players diet, the players scores more points
When there is more protein in a basketball players diet, the players scores more points

An hourly employee works more hours, and therefore makes more money

Answer 1

The situation that describes a correlation that is less likely to indicate a causal relationship is:

When there is more protein in a basketball player's diet, the player scores more points.

While it may seem intuitive that diet affects performance, there are many other factors that contribute to a basketball player's scoring ability, such as skill level, training, teamwork, and game conditions. Therefore, the correlation between protein intake and scoring points might not necessarily be causal. The other options present clearer causal relationships.