What does causal inference allow a person to determine?

Causal inference is a fundamental concept in cognitive psychology and research methodology, allowing individuals to ascertain whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between two events. When you establish causal inference, you are going beyond merely identifying a correlation between two variables or events. Instead, you are determining that changes in one event (the cause) directly result in changes in another event (the effect).

For example, if a researcher investigates whether studying more leads to better exam scores, establishing causal inference means that they can confidently assert that increased studying results in improved scores, not simply that there is a statistical association or correlation between the two. This process involves rigorous experimentation or observational studies designed to control for confounding variables, thus strengthening the argument that the cause actually produces the observed effect.

The other options, while relevant to different aspects of psychological research or understanding, do not accurately define the concept of causal inference as it specifically relates to determining relationships of cause and effect between events.