Example 2: Causation

• To prove causation in this case, you must show:
  • Temporal order: to prove temporal order here, you must show that throughout time they have always been related, especially by using an increase in education at one point leads to a higher income.
  • Association: you must use statistical measures to prove that there is a relationship (positive in this case) between the two.
  • Eliminate other alternatives: you must look for other things that could effect both of these variables. For example, perhaps people with wealthy parents have more connections and more opportunity.
• You must avoid common logic problems such as:
  • Teleology: by saying "god favors those who work hard to learn"
  • Tautology: by saying "because people are educated they have cultural capital, so they are not really poor"
  • Ecological fallacy: by using data from the state level to apply to the individual level, saying "states that have more funding for education have less poverty, therefore people who are more educated will make more money."
• Now you must decide how you wish to collect your data. Click the link below to go to the methods of research page.