Definition
Causation
Cause and effect: changing one factor makes another factor change.
Continue from this idea into connected AXIO math.
Cause has an arrow: change A, and B changes because of A.
Boundary: A scatter plot or correlation alone cannot establish causation. A hidden factor might influence both variables.
What it means
Two things can move together without either causing the other. A causal claim needs evidence that changing the cause changes the result while other reasonable explanations are controlled or ruled out.
Remember it
Cause has an arrow: change A, and B changes because of A.
Example
Place equal ice cubes in two identical bowls, one in a warm room and one in a cold room. If all other conditions are kept the same, changing the room temperature causes a difference in melting time.
Watch for
A scatter plot or correlation alone cannot establish causation. A hidden factor might influence both variables.
Common mix-up
“Happens before” is not enough by itself; the earlier event must actually help produce the later change.
Exact meaning
Causation is a cause-and-effect relationship: changing one factor produces a change in another, rather than the two merely varying together.