Final answer:
A false cause, option a occurs when a supposed cause does not actually lead to the effect it is being associated with. The answer is a. false cause, which is a fallacy of weak induction and encapsulated by the phrase 'correlation does not equal causation.'
Step-by-step explanation:
An occurs when the alleged cause fails to produce the effect. The correct answer is a. false cause. A false cause fallacy is a type of fallacy of weak induction in which a causal relation is assumed to exist between two events that are not causally connected. An example of false cause is when people believe that one event must cause another just because the events occur together. This is encapsulated by the phrase "correlation does not equal causation". For instance, thinking that swimsuits cause sunburns because there is a correlation between wearing swimsuits and getting sunburned, despite there being no causal relationship, is a false cause fallacy.