A weird thing about anecdotes: there are so many humans, and each human has so many things happen to them, that for a great many simple stories, you might make up (as long as it is within the bounds of physics/current technology/human capacity, and isn't too specific), something similar has happened to somebody.
For instance, I just made up these stories that I've never heard of ever happening:
• a young child stealing their mother's car
• a dog discovering buried treasure
And i...
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explanation
Correlation Coefficient as a Gateway to Skepticism
The correlation coefficient as a gateway to radical skepticism:Suppose you calculate that two variables are moderately correlated. For instance, you find that self-reported happiness has a correlation r=0.32 with self-reported willpower, as I found in one of my studies.
What are the possible explanations for (or causes of) this?
A Causes B - Increasing A is a cause of increasing B but not the reverse. [e.g., more happiness causes more willpower] (2) B Causes A - Increasing B is a cause ...
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