loader image
Skip to main content
If you continue browsing this website, you agree to our policies:
Continue
x
Home

Causal Reasoning

Completion requirements

Read this section to investigate the complications of causality, particularly as it relates to correlation. Sometimes, two correlated events share a common cause, and sometimes, correlation is accidental. Complete the exercises to practice determining sufficient evidence for causation and determining accidental correlation. Check your answers against the key.

Exercise

Answers

  1. Accidental
  2. B causes A. Perhaps when we are away from home, Charlie gets less exercise, hence putting on more weight. In that case B is (indirectly) causing A, since our being away from home results in Charlie getting less exercise, which results in him gaining more weight.
  3. Common cause. The common cause is simply the factors that make plants grow, such a sunlight, water, and good soil. In this case, A and B are not causing each other, but there is something else (i.e., growth factors of plants) that is causing each one, independently to grow.
  4. A causes B. The more bombing, the more stress for the president. And the more stress for the president, the more of his hairs fall out.
  5. B causes A. Arguably, the average number of fires per year will influence the number of fire engines needed. Fewer fires would require fewer engines (in which case they'd likely retire some); more fires would require more engines (in which case they'd likely acquire some).
  6. Common cause: agrarian societies will have more mules and will also probably pay professors less, since higher education is not as important in an agrarian society. So the common cause is being a (more or less) agrarian society.
  7. B causes A. Drivers are distracted by the scantily-clad models on the billboards and more distracted drivers causes more accidents.
  8. A causes B. The wider one's waist, the higher the weight due to fat. The higher the weight due to fat, the lower one's vertical leap.
  9. B causes A. The heat causes slower marathon times.
  10. Common cause: Aging. The older one is, the more likely one will have gray hair and the more likely one will have more children or grandchildren. However, neither of these factors are causing the other. Rather, both are being caused independently by a common factor: age.
Prev Section
Next Activity