Question 151221: I am trying to determine if I am going the right direction, more so than wanting someone just to answer the question. Here is the question;
Define “association” in statistics. Explain how association is identified and demonstrated.
My answer –
Association is a commonality between two variables demonstrated by a shared value. Association is often indentified mathematically by plotting variables on a graph, when variables share a point it can be said they are associated. Association can also be demonstrated through plotting. Real world association can be defined when two variables share a common factor. Such as January and snow, they are associated because they both occur during the same time of year but one does not cause the other.
Am I heading the right way with this?
Answer by nabla(475)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Yes, this is a good answer. The key point is in the last sentence: "one does not [necessarily] cause the other." Which is to say, association in formal statistics just describes events that seem to relate, however, there is no evident relationship between the events.
As an example (similar to yours), let's say the number of car accidents is high during snow storms. In addition, people are very likely to wear winter clothing in such conditions. Can we say that car accidents and wearing winter clothing cause one another? Certainly not. The seeming cause would, of course, be snow storms (and the cold...).
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