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'''Correlation does not imply causation''' is a phrase used in [[statistics]] to point out that a [[correlation]] between two variables should not imply that one variable has not caused a change in the other. It is a [[logical fallacy]] to assume that correlation implies causation.
The following is a flawed argument:
#Event A occurs in concurrence with Event B
#Therefore, Event A causes Event B
This is flawed because:
#There may be a confounding factor causing A ''and'' B
#B may cause A
#The relationship may be a complete coincidence
==Examples==
#As sales of ice cream rise, so do reports of shark attacks
#High sales of ice cream cause shark attacks
'''Flaw:''' Shark attacks and ice cream sales follow a seasonal pattern. Both rise in the summer months. The seasons are a confounding variable.
#Since the construction of a stadium began in Alaska, the value of your home in Texas has risen
#Stadium construction in Alaska causes higher home values in Texas
'''Flaw:''' This is a coincidence between unrelated variables.
==References==
*[http://www.stat.tamu.edu/stat30x/notes/node42.html Texas A&M University]
The following is a flawed argument:
#Event A occurs in concurrence with Event B
#Therefore, Event A causes Event B
This is flawed because:
#There may be a confounding factor causing A ''and'' B
#B may cause A
#The relationship may be a complete coincidence
==Examples==
#As sales of ice cream rise, so do reports of shark attacks
#High sales of ice cream cause shark attacks
'''Flaw:''' Shark attacks and ice cream sales follow a seasonal pattern. Both rise in the summer months. The seasons are a confounding variable.
#Since the construction of a stadium began in Alaska, the value of your home in Texas has risen
#Stadium construction in Alaska causes higher home values in Texas
'''Flaw:''' This is a coincidence between unrelated variables.
==References==
*[http://www.stat.tamu.edu/stat30x/notes/node42.html Texas A&M University]