Correlation and causality | Statistical studies | Probability and Statistics | Khan Academy

Understanding why correlation does not imply causality (even though many in the press and some researchers often imply otherwise)

Missed the previous lesson?

Probability and statistics on Khan Academy: We dare you to go through a day in which you never consider or use probability. Did you check the weather forecast? Busted! Did you decide to go through the drive through lane vs walk in? Busted again! We are constantly creating hypotheses, making predictions, testing, and analyzing. Our lives are full of probabilities! Statistics is related to probability because much of the data we use when determining probable outcomes comes from our understanding of statistics. In these tutorials, we will cover a range of topics, some which include: independent events, dependent probability, combinatorics, hypothesis testing, descriptive statistics, random variables, probability distributions, regression, and inferential statistics. So buckle up and hop on for a wild ride. We bet you're going to be challenged AND love it!

About Khan Academy: Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. We tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Our math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. We've also partnered with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, The California Academy of Sciences, and MIT to offer specialized content.

For free. For everyone. Forever. #YouCanLearnAnything

Subscribe to KhanAcademy’s Probability and Statistics channel:

[pioneerdev]

Done with whole statistics playlist and I can say it was a great help. Now I believe I have the working knowledge of the topics covered in this series of lectures. Thank You!

[ThijsGieb]

Unexpected sudden ending of 68 video's. Thank you very much for clarifying all this material for me, your explanations are very clear and easy to watch!

[wesleymesquita]

Just finished the playlist. It is remarkable how Sal has the talent to build concepts from ground up making the student really got into what is going on. This is a great example of humility, something usually missing on education (specially higher).

[Vajradaka]

I really like these videos from Khan Academy. I encourage my students to use them to do independent study. There is a definite correlation between using the videos and success in the examinations, but not proof of causality yet :)

[seongkim]

I now finished the whole playlist to get some introductory ideas about statistics. I think I got some now. It really provides a good value for learners, great videos, he explains well to make understand intuitively. He's great.

[datingprofile]

I love this talk. This is one of the best treatments of Causality vs. correlation.

[artsliberation]

Wow! This video, apart from explaining the difference between correlation and causality, tells us why it is important to know the difference too. Causality is a correlation. However, not all correlations are causalities. What we need is the objectivity to see a causality as a causality and a correlation as a correlation. Above all, we must have the ability to picture the interactions between a multitude of correlations and causalities while evaluating an event.

[mustavogaia]

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" says the breakfast-related industry

[gianluisrosado]

This is to the point. As I watched I kept thinking about the many articles that "might be wrong" that come out on a daily basis. These are powerful concepts to understand and apply regularly.

[pradoshkumarsahu]

I owe you big time, Sal. Nicely and Perfectly articulated the concepts. Thank you very much.

[eternalko]

After all these years of hating... I finally start liking statistics :)
I am really sad because of the fact that this is the final lesson.

Thank You Sal!

[AwesomeRobot]

So basically causality only works in one direction and correlation is 2 things that move together and are related.

[pankajbisht]

Thanks Prof for these mind boggling videos. Studied stats in my MBA from one of the most revered Faculty from an IIM and he was nowhere half as good as you. I had no idea stats could be this much fun. Thanks a lot. A bit sad to see the abrupt ending of 67 videos.

[rai]

I wish more people thought like this, not taking things at face value, making up their own mind. would certainly help with the media and their inflexions towards news and current affairs.

[yihengchen]

I Appreciate for all the statistics videos You are the one of the best teachers I ever meet！Your teaching is clear and kinda funny sometimes make me laugh lol anyway thank you again！！

[khanacademy]

@ZergAteu The researchers probably understand the difference and may have even been careful with their wording. The article, however, is clearly trying to have the reader walk away with the thought that eating breakfast makes obesity less likely.

[Yun-Sura]

Thank you Professor for this amazing videos. I watched the whole playlist of Statistics and I find it inspiring. Longing to follow with another playlist soon.

[jenniferwilliams]

This video is simple and to the point. Great video!

[timitarecom]

Thank you so much for helping our minds to open up

[LinkSF]

Hi Khan. I'm a big fan of your work and like following you.

I hope you don't mind if I make a few suggestions. I think you did a great job at differentiating between causality and correlation.

A few things I would recommend mentioning in addition to this are: timing (which came first?), co-linearity (overcoming it to analyze causality), and randomization or multivariate models (how it takes care of the confounding issue you mention). Good luck and great job!