14
Causation vs Association
Truly
determining causation requires a suitable interventional
study (experiment)
–Statistical analyses
tell us about associations
–Associations in the
presence of an appropriate experimental design allows us to infer
causation
•But even then, we need
to be circumspect in identifying the true mechanistic
cause
»E.g., a treatment that
causes headaches, and therefore aspirin use, may result in
lower heart attack rates due entirely to the use of aspirin