The most common abuse of correlation in studies is to confuse the concepts of co

Question

The most common abuse of correlation in studies is to confuse the concepts of correlation with those of causation.

Good SAT scores do not cause good college grades, for example. Rather, there are other variables, such as good study habits and motivation, that contribute to both. Find an example of an article that confuses correlation and causation.

Discuss other variables that could contribute to the relationship between the variables.

*I see two answers similar to this question. Looking for something different.

Explanation / Answer

I am not looking up an article per se, as I do not know which ones you have come across, but am quoting these examples through experience and discussions over the years.

A robust diet ensures good health. This is definitely not true, as good health cannot be ensured by just 1 factor alone. The other variables that can ensure good health (alongwith a healthy diet) is sufficient excercise, good sleeping habits, good eating habits(minimal junk food), periodic check ups(everything looks good outside, but whats happening inside).

So we see that good health is the sum effect of many variables and cannot be attributed to one factor alone (for eg. A person who excercises regulary need not be enjoying good health and vice versa.)

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