Ceteris paribus is a Latin phrase meaning "all other things being equal" that is used to acknowledge other factors could impact a relationship while focusing analysis on a specific causal relationship. It allows scientists to isolate a single variable's effect by controlling for all other independent variables. Economists also use ceteris paribus assumptions to simplify models by holding all variables constant except those under immediate consideration. For example, predicting demand for beef will decrease if its price increases, while ignoring other factors like substitute good prices, consumer risk preferences, and overall demand shifts.