Common Cause

A common cause refers to a situation where two events or conditions appear to be related or correlated, but they are actually influenced by the same underlying factor. Instead of one causing the other, both are affected by this third factor. For example, if higher ice cream sales and an increase in drowning incidents occur during summer, the common cause is the hot weather, which drives both people to buy ice cream and to swim. Recognizing common causes helps avoid incorrect assumptions about cause-and-effect relationships.