UC San Diego Science Project
UC San Diego
Science Media Literacy Framework Resource

Correlation or Causation?

Below are links to popular press articles regarding a variety of research studies and their results. The text in the links (e.g., "Pill changes women's taste in men") is the actual headline of those popular press articles. Some of the headlines suggest a causal relationship between two variables, and some simply suggest a correlation between two variables. Unfortunately, the headlines of articles in the popular media often misrepresent the research on which they are based. Many of the headlines below suggest causal relationships when, upon closer reading of the article itself, one finds that the research was correlational in nature, and the headline is not justified.

Original resource by Jon Mueller External links routed through the Wayback Machine for stability
Using this resource

Jon Mueller uses this resource in a variety of ways to help students identify the language of causal relationships and correlations, identify the tell-tale signs that an experiment or a correlational study is being described in the media when there is no mention of the type of study, and to learn how to evaluate the quality and nature of evidence in judging the merit of a claim.

Below are a few assignments that can be used with this resource. If you think of or develop any other such assignments, send a note or example to jfmueller@noctrl.edu.

All 94 headlines
  1. Those who ogle also more likely to have harmful attitudes, study finds sciencedaily.com
  2. Intellectual humility can lessen political myside bias spsp.org
  3. Trust in government linked to work attitudes phys.org Research article →
  4. Later school start times reduce car crashes, improve teen safety sciencedaily.com
  5. Children who drank whole milk had lower risk of being overweight or obese sciencedaily.com
  6. Dogs can help you live longer, as if you needed another reason to get one huffpost.com Research article →
  7. Baby teeth may identify ADHD medpagetoday.com
  8. People with happy spouses may live longer psychologicalscience.org
  9. Taller people more prone to cancer the-scientist.com
  10. Checking phones in lectures can cost students half a grade in exams phys.org
  11. These 3 personality traits affect what you earn -- but only after age 40 hbr.org
  12. Watching too much TV can KILL you dailymail.co.uk
  13. Internet use in class leads to lower test scores digitaljournal.com
  14. Multiple sclerosis: Is yawning a warning? the-scientist.com
  15. Risks of harm from spanking confirmed by analysis of five decades of research news.utexas.edu
  16. One hour of extra screen time drags down teenagers' grades huffingtonpost.com
  17. Lack of sleep may shrink your brain cnn.com
  18. Low self-esteem "shrinks brain" news.bbc.co.uk
  19. Early language skills reduce preschool tantrums, study finds health.usnews.com
  20. Teenage sex "leads to bad moods" in later life dailymail.co.uk
  21. Dogs walked by men are more aggressive today.com
  22. The Mental Activity and eXercise (MAX) Trial: A Randomized Controlled Trial to Enhance Cognitive Function in Older Adults jamanetwork.com
  23. Physical Activity and Cognition in Women With Vascular Conditions jamanetwork.com
  24. Prevent Alzheimer's? No evidence you can: Panel reuters.com
  25. Straight A's in high school may mean better health later in life time.com
  26. Murder rates affect IQ tests scores: Study reuters.com
  27. Happiness wards off heart disease, study suggests news.bbc.co.uk
  28. Interactive animations give science students a boost sciencedaily.com
  29. OMG! Texting and IM-ing doesn't affect spelling! washingtonpost.com
  30. Cards "can support mentally ill" news.bbc.co.uk
  31. Building more latrines: Peer pressure better than financial assistance medicalnewstoday.com
  32. Sugar rush... to prison? Study says lots of candy could lead to violence cbsnews.com
  33. Which high school students are most likely to graduate from college? usnews.com
  34. Does alcohol blur cues? chicagotribune.com
  35. Link between over-indebtedness and obesity identified sciencedaily.com
  36. In study, texting lifts crash risk by large margin nytimes.com
  37. Caffeine reverses memory impairment in mice with Alzheimer's symptoms sciencedaily.com
  38. People with higher IQs make wiser economic choices, study finds sciencedaily.com
  39. Recession causes increase in teen dating violence abcnews.go.com
  40. Daily school recess improves classroom behavior sciencedaily.com
  41. Exposure to two languages carries far-reaching benefits sciencedaily.com
  42. Facebook users get worse grades in college livescience.com
  43. Texting "improves language skill" news.bbc.co.uk
  44. Cell phones disrupt teens' sleep webmd.com
  45. Church attendance boosts immunity jonfmueller.com
  46. Fan in room seems to cut infants' risk of crib death nytimes.com
  47. Sexism pays: Men who hold traditional views of women earn more than men who don't, study says sciencedaily.com
  48. Migraine often associated with psychiatric disorders reuters.com
  49. Board-certified teachers boost student scores usatoday.com
  50. Keeping a food diary doubles diet weight loss, study suggests sciencedaily.com
  51. Breast-fed children found smarter reuters.com
  52. Mother's diet can help determine sex of child: study huffingtonpost.com
  53. Bullying harms kids' mental health: Study reuters.com
  54. Don't be a Super Bowl statistic: Stress of watching the big game can be hazardous to heart, research suggests articles.chicagotribune.com
  55. Family meals curb teen eating disorders webmd.com
  56. Beta carotene supplements slow down cognitive decline medicalnewstoday.com
  57. TV raises blood pressure in obese kids: Study reuters.com
  58. Social isolation may have a negative effect on intellectual abilities medicalnewstoday.com
  59. Consistent, frequent TV viewing causes behavior problems medicalnewstoday.com
  60. Height affects how people perceive their quality of life sciencedaily.com
  61. Deep voiced men "have more kids" news.bbc.co.uk
  62. Tooth loss in elderly linked to mental impairment reuters.com
  63. Involving parents in therapy doubles success rates for bulimia treatment sciencedaily.com
  64. "Genius" videos may hinder baby development: Study reuters.com
  65. Obese girls less likely to attend college, research shows news.utexas.edu
  66. The causal effect of studying on academic performance economics.uwo.ca
  67. Credit cards can make you fat buffalo.edu
  68. Pill changes women's taste in men news.bbc.co.uk
  69. Why we give in to temptation sciencedaily.com
  70. A surprising secret to a long life: Stay in school nytimes.com
  71. Surgeons with video game skill appear to perform better in simulated surgery skills course sciencedaily.com
  72. Housework cuts breast cancer risk news.bbc.co.uk
  73. Reading diet articles could be unhealthy washingtonpost.com
  74. Intelligent children more likely to become vegetarian sciencedaily.com
  75. Success a family affair? Willingness to take risks and trust others are inherited, study suggests sciencedaily.com
  76. Sex drive stays in gear with antidepressant bupropion scientificamerican.com
  77. Music lessons improve kids' brain development, memory: study cbc.ca
  78. Disciplinarian parents have fat kids thestar.com.my
  79. Jabs link to autism "dispelled" news.bbc.co.uk actual study →
  80. Does watching sex on television influence teens' sexual activity? rand.org
  81. Sex cues ruin men's decisiveness news.bbc.co.uk
  82. Sex "cuts public speaking stress" news.bbc.co.uk
  83. Child anxiety link to ecstasy use news.bbc.co.uk
  84. Music intensifies ecstasy effects news.bbc.co.uk
  85. Stop global warming: Become a pirate venganza.org
  86. Kids' TV habits tied to poorer test scores cbc.ca
  87. Eating pizza "cuts cancer risk" news.bbc.co.uk
  88. Breastfeeding fights arthritis cbsnews.com
  89. Study links TV to teen sexual activity chinadaily.com.cn
  90. Height doesn't influence kids' popularity: Study shortsupport.org
  91. Luckiest people "born in summer" news.bbc.co.uk
  92. Watching TV "is bad for children" news.bbc.co.uk Original research report in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (now JAMA Pediatrics) →
  93. Video Games "Increase Aggression" news.bbc.co.uk
  94. Higher beer prices "cut" gonorrhoea rates news.bbc.co.uk

Credits

  • Original resource created by Jon Mueller · Archived and adapted for science media literacy professional development by the UC San Diego Science Project at UC San Diego CREATE · External links routed through the Wayback Machine for stability
  • Part of the Science Media Literacy professional development resource family