Two Variables, X and Y, Have a Strong Linear Correlation

question 77

Multiple Choice

Two variables, X and Y, have a strong linear correlation. Under what conditions can you determine the direction of causality just from knowing the correlation coefficient?

• A)When the correlation is negative
• B)When the correlation is positive
• C)When there is high power
• D)None of the above

---

Definitions:

Malthus

Refers to Thomas Malthus, an English economist and demographer known for his theory that population growth tends to outpace the growth of food supply, leading to inevitable checks on population.

Indefinitely

For an unspecified or unlimited period of time.

Shrinking Population

A demographic trend where the number of individuals in a population decreases over time due to factors like low birth rates, high death rates, and emigration.

Prereproductive Individuals

Organisms that have not yet reached sexual maturity and thus are not capable of reproduction.