Each of these relationships reflects a correlation. Which relationship most likely reflects correlation but not causation?Choices:(A) Owning more horses is associated with having a larger stable. (B) Owning more chickens is associated with having more eggs. (C) Owning more goats is associated with owning more sheep.
Q. Each of these relationships reflects a correlation. Which relationship most likely reflects correlation but not causation?Choices:(A) Owning more horses is associated with having a larger stable. (B) Owning more chickens is associated with having more eggs. (C) Owning more goats is associated with owning more sheep.
Analyze Relationship: Analyze the relationship of the first option A: Does owning more horses necessarily cause one to have a larger stable? While there is a correlation between the number of horses owned and the size of the stable, it is possible that someone could own many horses and not have a correspondingly large stable, or they could have a large stable for reasons other than owning horses, such as for storage or other animals. Therefore, this relationship may not necessarily imply causation.
Analyze Relationship: Analyze the relationship of the second option (B): Does owning more chickens cause one to have more eggs? This relationship is likely to reflect both correlation and causation because the more chickens one owns, the more eggs they are likely to produce, assuming the chickens are laying eggs. This is a direct causal relationship.
Analyze Relationship: Analyze the relationship of the third option (C): Does owning more goats cause one to own more sheep? This relationship is likely to reflect correlation but not causation. The ownership of goats does not cause one to own sheep. It is possible that someone who owns more goats also owns more sheep due to having a larger farm or a preference for raising multiple types of livestock, but the goats do not cause the ownership of sheep.
Select Option: Select the option that most likely reflects correlation but not causation. Based on the analysis, the answer is 'Owning more goats is associated with owning more sheep.' because the relationship does not imply that one causes the other, but rather that they may be correlated due to other factors such as farm size or livestock preferences.