Correlation vs Causation
6-8
Correlation shows that two variables move together in some pattern; causation means one variable actually makes the other change. Observing a correlation does not prove causation because a hidden third variable (confounder) may be driving both.
"Ice cream sales and drowning deaths both increase in summer. Are ice creams deadly? No! A third factor (hot weather) causes both. This is why 'correlation $\neq$ causation' - just because things happen together doesn't mean one causes the other."
Why it matters: Correlation vs Causation gives students a careful language for comparing variables without jumping to a causal story. It is useful for reading scatter plots, two-way tables, regression models, and real-world claims where patterns are tempting but hidden variables may matter.