Question

What is the difference between correlation and identity? Why is it important to distinguish between the two concepts? Provide an example of a statement that confuses correlation with identity.

Answer 1

Correlation is the relationship between two sets of variables used to describe or predict information. It shows how two things are associated or dependent on each other. The term identity is defined as who you are, the way you think about yourself, the way you are viewed by the world and the characteristics that define you. It broadly independent on any other thing. Our notion about identity may vary form person to person and need not be same. There is a lot of difference between these two concepts and their dependence on other factors. So we need to understand them clearly.

Example-A certain person is elected president.The economy does well or poorly.People assume the president is responsible.

Here people are correlating the economic conditions to the president being elected. It may be possible that the identity of the president is playing a role here. His traits are such that may be his ways of working made things such. So it is a confusing statement.