Here's how it breaks down:
* Spurious: Something that is spurious is a fake or imitation. It might look or seem real, but it's not.
* Non-spurious: Something that is non-spurious is the real deal. It's genuine and authentic, not a fake or copy.
Examples:
* Spurious: A counterfeit $100 bill is spurious.
* Non-spurious: A painting signed by Van Gogh that is authenticated by experts is non-spurious.
In research and analysis, "non-spurious" often refers to a correlation that is not due to chance or other unrelated factors. This means the observed relationship is actually meaningful and reflects a true connection between the variables being studied.
For example, in a study about the relationship between exercise and weight loss, a non-spurious correlation would mean that the observed connection between the two variables is actually due to exercise, not some other confounding factor like dietary changes.