Causation or Association Review

Flashcards for reviewing lecture notes on causation and association in research.

Association

A statistical relationship between two or more events, characteristics, or other variables.

Causation

A relationship where one event or variable directly results in another.

What must be excluded to conclude a true association?

Chance, bias, and confounding

Association between cause and effect

A positive or negative relationship between the cause and effect.

Assessing causality considerations

Observed association is valid and The totality of evidence supports causality

Bradford Hill Criteria

Strength of association, Consistency of association, Specificity of association, Temporal sequence, Dose-response relationship, Biological plausibility, Coherence, Experimental evidence, Analogy

Research Question

A clear, specific, and concise statement that defines the focus of a research project.

SMART properties of a good research question

Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound