Examples of Spurious Relationships Observed Spurious Relationship Reason for the Relationship (the Third Variable) Amount of ice cream sold and deaths by drownings (Moore, 1993) Season: Ice cream sales and drownings tend to be high during the warm months of the year. Size of left hand and size of right hand Genetics: The size of both hands is due to genetic makeup. Height of sons and height of daughters (Davis, 1985) Genetics: Heights of sons and daughters are both due their parents’ genetic makeup. Ministers’ salaries and price of vodka Area (i.e., urban or rural): In urban areas, prices and salaries tend to be higher. Shoe size and reading performance … Continue reading R. Burke Johnson