Correlation

Question 1

Words not to use in correlation studies

Answer 1

Difference
Effect
Affect
Change
IV/DV
Experimental design

Question 2

Research Aim and Questions

• What is a research question?
• What is a research aim?

Answer 2

A research question is a question related to what is being investigated, the statement must end with a ‘?’

A research aim is a statement about the purpose of the study

Question 3

What kind of descriptive statistics is used for correlation?

Answer 3

Scatter graphs are used o plot findings for correlation graphs

A correlation shows the relationship as well as the strength and direction of the relationship

Question 4

Types of correlation

What happens to co-variables for each type of correlation?

Answer 4

Positive correlation
One co-variable increases = the other co-variable increases

Negative correlation
One co-variable increases = the other co-variable decreases

No correlation
No trend or relationship between the two co-variables

Question 5

Key points
how many sets of information needs to be collected from each participant? Why?
What type of data needs to be collected?
What level of data needs to be collected?What type of questions need to be avioded? why? (what type of data will they give)

Answer 5

For a correlation study, two sets of information needs to be collected from each participant as it will then allow the researcher to compare the collected information to see if there is a relationship

The data collected has to be at least ordinal level

Types of questions to avoid

• Open questions = qualitative data
• Closed questions = nominal data

Question 6

What does operationalise mean?

Answer 6

Operational variables allows researchers to ensure that the things being investigated are testable and measurable.

Question 7

What is the difference between experiments and correlations?

Answer 7

Experiments VS Correlation
IV/DV VS Co-variables
Control and experimental groups
affect or difference
Any level of data
Bar charts or Pie charts

Question 8

Key points
How many sets of information needs to be collected from each participant? Why?
What type of data needs to be collected?
What level of data needs to be collected?What type of questions need to be avoided? Why? (what type of data will they give)

Answer 8

For a correlation study, two sets of information needs to be collected from each participant as it will then allow the researcher to compare the collected information to see if there is a relationship

The data collected has to be at least ordinal level

Types of questions to avoid

• Open questions = qualitative data
• Closed questions = nominal data

Question 9

Correlational hypothesis
Do correlation studies have alternate and null hypotheses?
what is the difference between experimental and correlational hypotheses?

Answer 9

As with experiments, correlational studies also have alternate and null hypotheses however there is a difference.

differences
co-variables not IV/DV
Relationship not difference

Question 10

Points to remember
What can not be inferred from a correlation?
What needs to be carried out to find the relationship between co-variables?
What is the difference between findings and conclusions?

Answer 10

Correlations can not show cause and effect it only shows the relationship

Statistical tests are required to determine the correlation, a scatter graph alone will not signify a relationship

Findings refer to the data collected e.g. the mean, median or mode
Conclusions refer to what the findings mean e.g. is there a positive, negative or no correlation between the two co-variables, how strong is the relationship

Question 11

How to know if there is a true correlation
What needs to be carried out to find if there is a real correlation?
what will this provide?
What does this value provide?

Answer 11

To see if there is a real correlation, inferentail statsictal tests like Spearmen Rho need to be carried out

These tests will provide a correlational coeffiecient (a number value for the relationship) that will indicate how strong the relationship is between the two co-variables and the relationship

Question 12

Correlation coefficient
Range?
What is the correlation coefficient for:
Positive correlation
negative correlation
No correlation?
What makes a correlation coefficient stronger?

Answer 12

Ranges from -1 through 0 to +1

Perfect negative correlation has a correlation coefficient of -1

Perfect positive correlation has a coefficient of +1

No correlation = coefficient of 0

The further away the coefficient is from 0, the stronger the correlation will be