Question

mr. henderson studied his students geography test scores and sleeping habits. he found that students who slept less tended to earn lower scores on the test. what conclusion should he make?
there is no correlation between test score and amount of sleep.
there is a correlation between test score and amount of sleep. there is probably also causation. this is because there is a decrease in a students test score with a decrease in the amount of sleep.
there is a correlation between test score and amount of sleep. there may or may not be causation. further studies would have to be done to determine this.

Explanation:

To determine the conclusion, we analyze the relationship between sleep and test scores:

1. The first option is incorrect because the study found a trend (less sleep → lower scores), so there is a correlation.
2. The second option assumes causation too quickly. Just because two variables are correlated doesn’t mean one causes the other (e.g., a third factor like stress could affect both sleep and scores).
3. The third option is correct: there’s a correlation (as the data shows a relationship), but causation isn’t proven and needs further study (since correlation ≠ causation).

Answer:

There is a correlation between test score and amount of sleep. There may or may not be causation. Further studies would have to be done to determine this.