Correlations & Causal Relationships (AQA A-Level Biology): Flashcards

Relationship where changes in one variable are associated with changes in another variable

Direct relationship where one variable is proven to cause changes in another variable

Whether the relationship appears reliably across different studies and populations

Proposed cause must occur before the observed effect

Biological processes explaining how one variable causes changes in another

Testing if removing the proposed cause reduces the observed effect

Chemical compounds that mutate DNA in cells, leading to cancer

When variables appear related due to coincidence or an unmeasured third factor

Studies following same individuals over extended periods

Compare disease rates across populations with varying exposure