Question

A Knight-Ridder News Service article in an issue of the Wichita Eagle discussed a study on the relationship between country music and suicide. The results of the study. coauthored by S. Stack and J. Gundlach, appeared as the paper "The Effect of Country Music on Suicide" (Social Forces, Vol. 71, Issue 1. Pp. 211-218). According to the article, " analysis of 49 metropolitan areas shows that the greater the airtime devoted to country music. the greater the white suicide rate," (Suicide rates in the black population were found to be uncorrelated with the amount of country music airtime.)

(a). Use the terminology introduced in this section to describe the statement quoted above.

(b). One of the conclusions stated in the journal article was that country music "nurtures a suicidal mood" by dwelling on marital status and alienation from work. Is this conclusion warranted solely on the basis of the positive correlation found between airtime devoted to country music and white suicide rate? Explain your answer.

Short answer

(a) There is a positive correlation between the airtime devoted to country music and the white suicide rate.

(b) It does not warrant solely on the basis of the positive correlation because the correlation alone does not concludes about causation.

Step-by-step solution

Part (a) Step 1: Given Information 

The statement which states that "The effect of country Music on Suicide".

Part (a) Step 2: Explanation

According to the report, "research from $49$metropolitan regions reveals that the more country music broadcast there is, the higher the white suicide rate."

According to the statement above, there is a correlation between the amount of time country music gets on the radio and the probability of white suicide.

Part (b) Step 1: Given Information 

That "nurtures a suicidal mood" by dwelling on marital status and alienation from work will there exist a positive correlation between airtime devoted to country music and white suicide rate.

Part (b) Step 2: Explanation 

According to one of the results, country music "nurtures a suicidal mindset" by focusing on marital status and work alienation.

The foregoing conclusion is not supported only by the positive association between country music airplay and white suicide rates, because correlation does not imply causality.

It does not justify itself purely on the basis of a positive connection, because correlation does not imply causality.