Plotting Data
Correlation vs. Causation
Correlation and causationare concepts that are often confusing for students. Let's start with definitions. Correlation is a mutual relation between two or more things. Causation is a relationship in which one action or event is the direct consequence of another. This means that one thing causes another. Correlation alone does NOT prove causation. In other words, a relationship between two variables does not mean that one causes the other to occur. There are a number of reasons and ways that two variables can be related without causing one another to happen.