Other things equal assumption helps isolate key economic

Question

Explain the statement: “The other things equal assumption helps isolate key economic relationships.”?

Answer 1

Natural scientists such as chemists or physicists can much more easily control experiments and test with great precision an assumed relationship between two variables.  Economists have a much more difficult time trying to isolate key economic relationships.  Nonetheless, the “other things equal assumption” is extremely important. Economists must test their theories using real world data, generated by the actual operation of the economy. Under these conditions “other things” do change and despite sophisticated statistical techniques, controls are less than perfect.  As a result economics principles are less precise than those of laboratory sciences.