Correlation

Definition

Correlation in plain English

Correlation means two things tend to move together, when one goes up or down, the other usually does too. For instance, ice cream sales and sunburns both rise in summer, so they're correlated. But, and this is the classic GMAT trap, moving together does NOT prove one CAUSES the other; ice cream doesn't cause sunburn, the hot sunny weather drives both. So whenever an argument spots a pattern and jumps straight to 'therefore X causes Y,' be suspicious: a hidden third factor or pure coincidence could explain the link instead.

Related GMAT terms

• Argument
• Assumption
• Combination
• Conditional
• Contrapositive
• Factor
• Function
• Inductive Argument
• Modus Ponens
• Modus Tollens