What’s the effect? Published reports about violence in computer games have become a concern to developers and distributors of these games. One firm commissioned a study of violent behavior in elementary-school children.

The researcher asked the children’s parents how much time each child spent playing computer games and had their teachers rate each child’s level of aggressiveness when playing with other children. The researcher found a moderately strong positive correlation between computer game time and aggressiveness score. But does this mean that playing computer games increases aggression in children?

Describe three different possible cause-and-effect explanations for this relationship.