Peer Review

Correlation or Causation?

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Reviewed:: Jan 9, 2017 by Psychology

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

Correlation or Causation? is a website that offers a variety of links to stories which suggest causal and/or correlational associations. The aim of the site is to allow students to explore how research is explained in the popular press and how this reporting can lead to misconceptions and conclusions which are entirely different (in some cases the complete opposite) from what the original research paper found. As well as links to news stories, the site offers a number of worksheets (assignments and exercises) for students. The worksheets are based primarily on the theoretical and language basis of correlation. The site does not cover statistical use or reporting of correlation.

Type of Material:

The learning material is a collection of links to news stories, associated research papers and worksheets (assignments and exercises).

Recommended Uses:

• The articles and exercises provide the foundation for a very useful introduction to the subject of correlation vs. causation and are best worked in class, or in groups, to support students in understanding how the language used in the reporting of results affects the accuracy of the headlines (and in some cases the news stories themselves).

Technical Requirements:

Interacting with this collection of links and assignments requires an active Internet connection. Two peer reviewers successfully accessed the site and its materials using Safari, Chrome, and Firefox. Testing on Android and Apple devices revealed that the site displays but does not scale for easy use on mobile devices.

Identify Major Learning Goals:

The site is designed primarily for use by faculty. However, the materials and exercises on the site are aimed toward fulfillment of the following learning goals.

• Students will gain experience in how language may be used in media stories to imply causal links when these have not been established in the actual research.

• Students will gain practice in writing brief, accurate descriptions of causal vs. correlational research findings (including rewording inaccurately reported results). This exercise will heighten students’ ability to recognize correctly vs. incorrectly reported results.

Target Student Population:

• The website is most likely to be used by faculty teaching undergraduate students. The suggested exercises may be useful for report writing skills in multiple science disciplines and for students studying subjects ranging from Introductory Psychology to Communication & Media.

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

No previous knowledge is required to use the articles or worksheets; however, it would be an advantage to have some understanding of how in simplifying complex research findings the message can become distorted.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: • The site offers a wide variety of news stories, and links to the related research papers often are included. Having this resource would make development of an activity related to interpreting media information much quicker and easier. • The headlines cover a wide range of topics and represent an equally wide range of information sources. • Taken together, the links on the site illustrate how even reputable media sources can make use of “click bait” to attract readers.
Concerns:: • The site would benefit from the addition of a more detailed overview of correlation vs. causation, such as a numerical description of correlation or information on the effect of mediators. Such an augmentation would be useful to students who read the linked articles and research papers. • The site would benefit from more links to original research papers.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: • The worksheets (activities and assignments) shared by other faculty offer significant value. Viewing the activities that other have faculty developed (utilizing this site) provides instructors with a host of ideas on how to integrate the headlines into course discussions of correlation.
Concerns:: • The value of this site rests in how the instructor uses it. The site itself does not include extensive background information on correlation vs. causation. Instructors will want to provide coverage of important topics such as directionality (something very often misreported in the press) and the effect of mediators.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: • The site is easy to navigate; it is simply a list of linked articles. • The site appears to be actively updated as articles are added annually.
Concerns:: • The site would benefit from the categorization of links in a manner that allows for quickly locating specific topics or areas of inquiry.

Other Issues and Comments:: Overall, the website provides many illustrations of how correlations found in research may be (mis)reported in the press. This is a strong resource for educators seeking to illustrate correlation vs. causation with current media stories.
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