Correlation describes the relationship between two variables, where changes in one are associated with predictable changes in the other. However, correlation does not imply causation; it doesn’t mean that one variable directly affects the other. The observed correlation might be due to a third variable or simply by chance. For example, ice cream sales and swimming often rise together with increasing temperatures. Here, temperature is the third variable influencing both ice cream sales and swimming, rather than one directly causing the other.