Linear Regression Models

AP Statistics· difficulty 2/5

A study of cities finds a strong negative correlation between number of public libraries and crime rate.

Which is the best conclusion?

A
$Crime reduces libraries$
B
$Correlation is meaningless$
C
$Libraries reduce crime$
D
$Cannot conclude libraries cause less crime; lurking variables (city size, demographics) likely play a role$
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Explanation

Observational correlation cannot establish causation; confounders explain many such patterns.

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