AP CSP Day 43: Crowdsourcing
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Practice Question
A study finds that students who eat breakfast daily score higher on standardized tests than students who skip breakfast. A newspaper headline states: "Eating Breakfast Boosts Test Scores!" Which of the following best evaluates this headline?
The study found a correlation (breakfast eating is associated with higher scores) but did not establish causation. A confounding variable like household income could independently influence both: higher-income families may be more likely to eat breakfast AND have access to educational resources that improve test scores.
A) The study shows correlation, not a controlled experiment proving causation. Even if breakfast helps cognition, the study design does not isolate that effect. B) Breakfast may have benefits, but the issue is that this particular study does not prove causation. D) Correlation studies do not prove causal links regardless of data quantity.
Students accept headlines at face value without evaluating whether the underlying study design (observational vs. experimental) supports causal claims. Observational studies show correlation, not causation.
Headlines often overstate study findings. When a question describes an observational study (no controlled experiment), the correct answer will almost always reference correlation, not causation.
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