Week 8: Experimental Design#
STATS 60 Spring 2025
10 bonus points for attendance
10 bonus points for completing assignment
Discussion assignment (extra credit, bonus points: 10 + up to 5 additional points):#
Look for a recent example of an article or other media piece which describes a correlation, and then assumes (without further evidence) that correlation implies causation.
In the Google Poll by 07:00 AM on Thursday, May 22:
Upload a screenshot and description of the example.
Come up with a plausible alternative non-causal explanation for the observed correlation.
Suggest an experiment that could be conducted to determine whether the causal relationship is real. In some cases it is impossible or unethical to do such an experiment; if so, explain what the obstacles are.
If your example is chosen for presentation in discussion, you get 5 additional bonus points.
Discussion Agenda#
Show and tell (5 minutes)#
The discussion instructor selects the top example of confusion between correlation and causation.
The student curator explains their example, and the class discusses the experimental design.
Overview of concepts from the week (10 minutes)#
Discussion instructor reviews key concepts from the week.
Activity: Sleep deprivation study (35 minutes)#
Guided by instructor, students will discuss a sleep deprivation study and analyze the data using the potential outcomes model and applet.