Short Definition
Causation means that changing one variable would produce a change in another variable under the right conditions.
Intuition
Causation asks what would happen if we intervened, not just what variables tend to move together.
Technical Definition
Causal claims require assumptions or designs that support intervention-based inference, such as randomized experiments, natural experiments, or causal models.
Example
A randomized trial can estimate whether a treatment causes improved outcomes.
Common Misunderstandings
Prediction does not automatically imply causation.
Causal inference depends on assumptions that should be stated explicitly.