Correlations

Question 1

What is a correlation?

Answer 1

a relationship between two variables

Question 2

What do correlations measure?

Answer 2

Correlational studies measure the relationship among 2 co-variables (e.g., weight and stress).
NO IV or DV as they’re not being manipulated and can’t determine cause and effect

Question 3

What are the different types of correlation?

Answer 3

• positive correlation
• negative correlation
• no correlation

Question 4

What is a positive correlation?

Answer 4

when one co-variable increases so does the other.

Question 5

What is a negative correlation?

Answer 5

as 1 variable increases the other variable decreases.

Question 6

What does “no correlation” mean?

Answer 6

no relationship between the co-variables.

Question 7

What is correlation coefficient?

Answer 7

a number between -1 and 1

Question 8

How do you measure the strength of a coefficient?

Answer 8

By calculating the correlation coefficient
the closer the score is to -1, the stronger the negative correlation
the closer to +1, the stronger the positive correlation
a score of 0 would indicate no correlation

Question 9

What is a correlational directional hypotheses?

Answer 9

Previous research shows a direction, states the direction of the relationship

Question 10

What is a correlational non-directional hypotheses?

Answer 10

No previous research with no direction, does not state the direction of the relationship.

Question 11

Give an example of a correlational directional hypotheses

Answer 11

e.g. there will be a positive correlation between scores on a happiness questionnaire and scores on a health questionnaire.

Question 12

Give an example of a correlational non-directional hypotheses

Answer 12

E.g. there will be a correlation between scores on a happiness questionnaire and scores on a health questionnaire.

Question 13

What are generally used to display correlations?

Answer 13

Scatter graphs

Question 14

Give some advantages of correlations

Answer 14

• Correlational studies let predictions be made about the trend direction and strength of the relationship between the co-variables.
• No manipulation required.

Question 15

Give some disadvantages of correlations

Answer 15

• Don’t establish cause and effect.
• Some correlations could be purely due to chance, and these results could be misrepresentative.
• Only suitable for linear relationships