Undergraduates’ Ability to Recognize Correlational and Causal Language Before and After Explicit Instruction

Abstract

The ability to distinguish between correlational and causal claims is core knowledge for scientific literacy. News reports of scientific research prominently feature these claims. Thus, this knowledge has significant real-world application, and distinguishing among claims is critical to making sense of the reported research. We constructed an introductory psychology course with a series of brief exercises and assessments designed to improve students’ abilities to both understand the core concepts of correlation and causation and to apply their knowledge to real-world situations. Pre–post data on definitions and research in the news headlines revealed that students improved on both tasks by the end of the term.