Causal Inference from Descriptions of Experimental and Non-experimental Research : Public Understanding of Correlation-Versus-Causation
Date
2014-04Author
Morrison, Katelyn
Heidtke, Luke
Advisor(s)
Bleske-Rechek, April L.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The distinction between correlation and causation
is emphasized in various college courses. However, previous research suggests that college students frequently incorrectly infer cause and effect relationships from correlational data. These incorrect inferences are made more often when the direction of the causal relationship seems intuitive, a bias that may be perpetuated by incorrect media and scholarly representation of correlational findings. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inferences general community members draw from hypothetical descriptions of experimental and non-experimental
research on human behavior.
Subject
Causation
Correlation (statistics)
Scientific psychology
Human behavior
Posters
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/70004Description
Color poster with text and tables.