which relationship can best described as causal?
(1)height and intelligence
(2)shoe size and running speed
(3)number of correct answers on a test and test score
(4)number of students in a class and number of students with brown hair
1) Does height cause intelligence?
2) Does a larger shoe cause faster running?
3) Does the number of correct answers cause a higher test score?
4) Does the number of students in a class cause the number with brown hair?
What do you think?
The relationship that can best be described as a causal relationship is option (3) - the number of correct answers on a test and the test score. In this case, the number of correct answers directly influences the test score.
To determine which relationship can best be described as causal among the given options, we need to understand what a causal relationship entails. A causal relationship is characterized by one variable directly influencing the other variable. In other words, a change in one variable causes a corresponding change in the other variable.
Now, let's evaluate the options:
1) Height and Intelligence: There is no direct causal relationship between height and intelligence. While there may be correlations or patterns, such as taller people tending to have higher intelligence, this does not imply a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
2) Shoe Size and Running Speed: Again, there is no causal relationship here. While it is plausible that people with larger shoe sizes might have an advantage in terms of running speed, shoe size alone does not directly cause increased running speed.
3) Number of Correct Answers on a Test and Test Score: In this case, we can argue that there is a causal relationship. The number of correct answers on a test directly influences the overall test score. If someone answers more questions correctly, their test score will be higher. Thus, we can consider this option as having a causal relationship.
4) Number of Students in a Class and Number of Students with Brown Hair: There is no causal relationship between the number of students in a class and the number of students with brown hair. These two variables are independent of each other, meaning changes in the number of students in a class would not directly affect the number of students with brown hair.
Based on the analysis, the option (3) "Number of Correct Answers on a Test and Test Score" can be described as having a causal relationship as the number of correct answers directly influences the test score.