Psych & Life: Correlation Does Not Equal Causation A correlation
exists when 2 variables are related to one another in an orderly
way. However, correlation does not equal causation. In other
words, correlations don’t tell us whether a cause and effect
relationship exists between 2 variables. For example, a child
development researcher may want to investigate if the amount of
time children spend in daycare is related to aggressive behavior
when they enter kindergarten. A correlation between time spent
in daycare and aggressive behavior will indicate if the
variables are related and how strongly. It is important to note
that a correlation NOT will tell the researcher whether or not
time spent in daycare causes aggressive behavior. When the
results of research studies are published in the media, they are
often written or discussed in a confusing and misleading manner.
Articles and news broadcasts may not explicitly state whether
the results of the study are based on a correlational study or
an experimental study