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Corellation != Causation

Why do high schools keep abusing statistics? This is one of many cases where I have seen a high school find correlation between an act and grades, and then made policy decision assuming things like attendance and extra-curricular activities caused increased grades instead of considering the alternative that kids who have a nature that causes good grades also causes attendance and participation in extra-curricular activities.



Somebody's Third Law: the comments on any study of anything will inevitably contain some guy reminding the world that "correlation != causation".

This will happen whether the study actually asserts some kind of causal link or not. In this case, it doesn't.


Just because "correlation != causation" comments correlate with studies, does not mean idiots like me cause them. I pose that it is the fault of the Study, and not the crazy person on the other end of this keyboard.




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