A recent study examined 699 car accidents in Toronto over a fourteen-month period. Records of phone-serviceproviders were used to determine whether the driver was using a cell phone during or immediately before theaccident. Overall, the researchers found that drivers using cell phones were 4.3 times as likely to have anaccident as drivers who were not using cell phones. The result was statistically significant. Which of thefollowing can be concluded from this study?(A) Cell phone use increases the likelihood of a car accident.(B) There is an association between cell phone use and accidents, but not necessarily a causal relationship.(C) There is a correlation between cell phone use and accidents, but not necessarily an association.(D) The association between cell phone use and accidents is negative.(E) Cell phone use causes more accidents in Canada, but not necessarily in the United States
Question
A recent study examined 699 car accidents in Toronto over a fourteen-month period. Records of phone-serviceproviders were used to determine whether the driver was using a cell phone during or immediately before theaccident. Overall, the researchers found that drivers using cell phones were 4.3 times as likely to have anaccident as drivers who were not using cell phones. The result was statistically significant. Which of thefollowing can be concluded from this study?(A) Cell phone use increases the likelihood of a car accident.(B) There is an association between cell phone use and accidents, but not necessarily a causal relationship.(C) There is a correlation between cell phone use and accidents, but not necessarily an association.(D) The association between cell phone use and accidents is negative.(E) Cell phone use causes more accidents in Canada, but not necessarily in the United States
Solution
The correct answer is (B) There is an association between cell phone use and accidents, but not necessarily a causal relationship.
This conclusion is drawn from the fact that the study found drivers using cell phones were 4.3 times as likely to have an accident as drivers who were not using cell phones. This shows an association or relationship between cell phone use and accidents. However, the study does not prove that cell phone use causes accidents, only that there is a higher likelihood of accidents when cell phones are used. This is why we cannot conclude (A) Cell phone use increases the likelihood of a car accident.
Option (C) is incorrect because correlation and association are often used interchangeably in statistics, both implying a relationship between two variables.
Option (D) is incorrect because the study found that cell phone use is associated with a higher likelihood of accidents, which is a positive association, not a negative one.
Option (E) is incorrect because the study does not provide information about the relationship between cell phone use and accidents in other countries.
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