Correlation

Question 1

what is correlation ?

Answer 1

a method used to assess the degree to which two co-variables are related.

Question 2

what is a positive correlation ?

Answer 2

the two co-variables increase together

Question 3

what is a negative correlation ?

Answer 3

one co-variable increases as the other decreases

Question 4

what are two positives of using correlational analysis ?

Answer 4

1) looks at relationships between continuous co-variables - whereas experiments look at differences
2) useful for preliminary analysis of data - weak correlation means no casual link, strong correlation justifies further look

Question 5

what are four negatives of correlation ?

Answer 5

1) cannot show cause-and-effect relationship (no deliberately altered IV) - people often misinterpret correlations and assume cause and effect
2) it is impossible to know the direction of any casual relationships (if it exists) - e.g. violent videos may increase aggressiveness, or more aggressive people choose to watch violent video games
3) intervening variables may explain why the co-variables are linked - e.g. low boredom threshold might cause TV watching and aggression
4) the method used to measure either co-variable may lack reliability/validity