Question

2. Read this passage and then explain the difference between causation and correlation.

Include at least one example of each in your answer. (4 points)
The fishing at Rockport was terrific this year thanks to the largest run of salmon in
20 years. I caught a half dozen king salmon, the most I've ever caught! Plus, we
started fishing on the day the salmon run was at its highest, and there were no
other fishermen there. We had the entire river and all the fish to ourselves. My
uncle was listening to the radio while we fished, and he heard that Rockport had
elected a new mayor on that same day. He says the mayor is a great fisherman
and will do a good job.

Answer 1

The difference between causation and correlation, is that causation is when one event causes another one to happen. Correlation is not causation because two events can correlate, but that doesn’t mean that they caused each other. One example of causation could be because there was a large run of salmon, he got the most he has ever caught. One example of correlation is that there was a large run of salmon, and coincidently the new mayor is a great fisherman. There being a large run of salmon did not cause the new mayor, who is a good fisherman, to be elected. That’s a little confusing, you may have to read it more than once.