Correlation vs. Causation: Why Correlation Does Not Imply Causation
Too Long; Didn't Read
The terms correlation and causation are often confused, however, they are not synonyms. A correlation does not imply causation, but causation always implies correlation. The third variable problem and the directionality problem are two of the main reasons why correlation is not causation. Use correlational research designs to identify the correlation between variables, whereas you should use experimental designs to test causation. For example, you would like to know if you optimized part of your app at the same time a significant increase in your app downloads occurred at the time it was brought in.