Discussion: Statistics in Research
Statistics Discussion Board Prompt
Topic: Correlation vs. Causation in Nursing Research
First: consider the difference between correlation and causation. How would you describe these two terms to a fellow coworker? Why is it misleading to argue that correlational data demonstrates a cause-effect relationship?
Next: Locate an article that demonstrates either correlation or causation. Describe, the methodology that was used in the study and the results that were obtained. What conclusions can be stated from the data? If your study used correlation, what is the danger of arguing that one variable caused the other? If your study used causation, what are the limitations of applying a causal relationship identified in research to a real-world setting?