If self esteem and school grades are highly positively correlated then increasing your self-esteem would result in an increase in your school grades.

False

If only it was that easy! A correlation exists when two variables are related to each other. A positive correlation in this instance means that high scores on a self-esteem scale are associated with high grades at school. However, a correlation does not tell us whether a cause and effect relationship exists. For example, a third factor, such as parental support, may explain both factors. Even if there is no third variable, we do not know the direction of causation (e.g, high grades may cause high self-esteem). Reference: Stanovich, K. (2010). How to Think Straight About Psychology (9th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.*##**##*