The conditional fallacy

The conditional fallacy occurs when someone misinterprets a relationship expressed as "if P, then Q" to mean that Q only occurs because of P, or that P causes Q. In reality, "if P, then Q" indicates that Q is true whenever P is true, but Q could also happen for other reasons, or P might not always lead to Q. This fallacy can lead to false conclusions by assuming causation or exclusivity where none exists, confusing a logical condition with a definitive cause-and-effect relationship.