7 Bivariate Correlational Research

Question 1

Bivariate association

Answer 1

Bivariate correlation.

An association that involves exactly 2 variables.

Question 2

Directionality problem

Answer 2

A situation in which it is unclear which is variable in an association came first.

Question 3

Moderator

Answer 3

A third variable that, depending on its level, changes the relationship between two other variables.

Question 4

Outlier

Answer 4

One or a few cases that stand out as either much higher or much lower than most of the other scores in a sample.

Question 5

Phi coefficient

Answer 5

A statistical test designed to evaluate the association between two categorical variables.

Question 6

Point-biserial correlation

Answer 6

A statistical test used for evaluating the association between one categorical variable and one quantitative variable.

Question 7

Spurious

Answer 7

An association that is attributable only to systematic mean differences on subgroups within the sample.

Question 8

Statistically significant

Answer 8

A conclusion that a result is extreme enough that it is unlikely to have happened by chance if the no hypothesis is true.

Question 9

t test

Answer 9

A statistical test used to evaluate the size and significance of the difference between two means.

Question 10

Third-variable problem

Answer 10

A situation in which plausible alternative explanations exist for the association between two variables.