The Illusion of Connection - Dissecting Correlation, Causation, and the Methods to Tell Them Apart

I4L, Tips to Greatness: Navigating Life with Insightful Information (T2G Series)

Welcome back to "Information for Life - Insights and Ideas to Navigate Your World." In this episode, we unravel the intriguing world of correlation and causation. Are two things truly connected, or are they just parallel universes? We explore why correlation doesn't always imply causation, delve into the tools to test causation, and journey through historical examples that shed light on the consequences of misinterpreting correlations. Join us on this thought-provoking adventure through the realms of data, science, and human behavior.
#informationforlife #correlation #causation #datascience #criticalthinking #researchmethods #scientificmisconceptions #vaccineautismmyth #leadcrimehypothesis #thinkcritically #navigateyourworld
References for Further Reading:
Fletcher, R. H., & Fairfield, K. M. (2002). Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults: Clinical Applications. JAMA, 287(23), 3127. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.287.23.3127
Messerli, F. H. (2012). Chocolate Consumption, Cognitive Function, and Nobel Laureates. New England Journal of Medicine, 367(16), 1562–1564. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMon1211064
Nevin, R. (2007). Understanding international crime trends: The legacy of preschool lead exposure. Environmental Research, 104(3), 315–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2007.02.008
Pearl, J., & Mackenzie, D. (2018). The book of why: the new science of cause and effect. Basic Books.
Primack, B. A., Shensa, A., Sidani, J. E., Whaite, E. O., Lin, L. Y., Rosen, D., Colditz, J. B., Radovic, A., & Miller, E. (2017). Social Media Use and Perceived Social Isolation Among Young Adults in the U.S. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 53(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2017.01.010
Stanton, B. F., Li, X., Galbraith, J., Cornick, G., Feigelman, S., Kaljee, L., & Zhou, Y. (2000). Parental underestimates of adolescent risk behavior: a randomized, controlled trial of a parental monitoring intervention. Journal of Adolescent Health, 26(1), 18–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1054-139X(99)00022-1
Taylor, L. E., Swerdfeger, A. L., & Eslick, G. D. (2014). Vaccines are not associated with autism: An evidence-based meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies. Vaccine, 32(29), 3623–3629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.04.085
Wakefield, A., Murch, S., Anthony, A., Linnell, J., Casson, D., Malik, M., Berelowitz, M., Dhillon, A., Thomson, M., Harvey, P., Valentine, A., Davies, S., & Walker-Smith, J. (1998). RETRACTED: Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children. The Lancet, 351(9103), 637–641. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(97)11096-0
Writing Group For The Women's Health Initiative Investigators. (2002). Risks and Benefits of Estrogen Plus Progestin in Healthy Postmenopausal Women: Principal Results From the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 288(3), 321–333. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.288.3.321
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فصول

1. Understanding Correlation, Causation, and Testing Methods (00:00:12)

2. Understanding Causation (00:14:38)

3. Differentiating Correlation and Causation (00:29:22)