I acknowledge that using the wrong terminology to the wrong audience will make their eyes glaze over and be counter-productive.
If your audience has any notion whatsoever of what correlation means, they will understand this.
I disagree about that. Until I actually took a course in statistics, I wouldn’t have been sure whether the correlation was undefined or just misleading in that case. Again, I agree that not everyone needs this level of precision.
the real issue, which is that the saying should refer to statistical dependence, rather than correlation.
An important issue, but a completely different one. If B said “that is statistical dependence, not causation”, wouldn’t they be equally wrong in exactly the same way?
If B said “that is statistical dependence, not causation”, wouldn’t they be equally wrong in exactly the same way?
B would be wrong in the exact same way. So the true reason that B is wrong needs to apply in both cases. On the other hand, appealing to the correlation formula only defeats the correlation version of the argument.
I acknowledge that using the wrong terminology to the wrong audience will make their eyes glaze over and be counter-productive.
I disagree about that. Until I actually took a course in statistics, I wouldn’t have been sure whether the correlation was undefined or just misleading in that case. Again, I agree that not everyone needs this level of precision.
An important issue, but a completely different one. If B said “that is statistical dependence, not causation”, wouldn’t they be equally wrong in exactly the same way?
B would be wrong in the exact same way. So the true reason that B is wrong needs to apply in both cases. On the other hand, appealing to the correlation formula only defeats the correlation version of the argument.
Ah, I see what you mean. You’re right.