Question

How do researchers decide if one thing is causing another? Is it enough to notice a correlation? Why not? What is needed instead?

Answer 1

Correlation is not enough to determine causation in research. Researchers need to conduct experiments to establish causation, by manipulating one variable and measuring its effect on another while controlling for confounding variables.

Step-by-step explanation:

Correlation is not enough to determine causation in research. While correlational research can establish a relationship between variables, it cannot prove causality. This is because there may be confounding variables, which are other factors that can affect both variables and create a correlation. In order to establish causation, researchers need to conduct experiments where they manipulate one variable and measure its effect on another variable, while controlling for confounding variables.