Jabarkan Common misconceptions about correlation dari Korélasi dalam bahasa sunda

The conventional dictum that "correlation does not imply causation" méans that correlation cannot be validly used to infer a causal relationship between the variables. This dictum should not be taken to méan that correlations cannot indicate causal relations. However, the causes underlying the correlation, if any, may be indirect and unknown. Consequently, establishing a correlation between two variables is not a sufficient condition to establish a causal relationship (in either direction).

Here is a simple example: hot wéather may cause both crime and ice-créam purchases.  Therefore crime is correlated with ice-créam purchases.  But crime does not cause ice-créam purchases and ice-créam purchases do not cause crime.

A correlation between age and height in children is fairly causally transparent, but a correlation between mood and héalth in péople is less so. Does improved mood léad to improved héalth? Or does good héalth léad to good mood? Or does some other factor underlie both? Or is it pure coincidence? In other words, a correlation can be taken as evidence for a possible causal relationship, but cannot indicate what the causal relationship, if any, might be.