Correlations Flashcards
What is a correlation?
A non-experimental method that measures the strength and direction of relationship or link between two co-variables, these can be positive or negative. There is no IV and DV.
What are the key features of correlations?
Involves measuring two or more co-variables
Does not involve an IV or DV
Can be quickly used to analyse relationships in large amounts of data
Identifies the direction of relationship – positive, negative or zero
Identifies the strength of relationship – weak, moderate or strong.
What is a positive correlation?
Positive correlation - as one co-variable increases, so does the other.
What is a negative correlation?
Negative correlation - as one co-variable increases, the other decreases
What is a zero correlation?
Zero correlation – there is no connection between the two variables.
What is a curvilinear relationship?
Curvilinear relationships – sometimes relationships are more complex that positive or negative correlations.
What are 2 + of correlations?
A useful preliminary tool for research – often used as a starting point to assess possible relationships or links between variables before researchers commit to an experimental study.
A useful research method to use when it is not possible or not ethical to carry out an experimental study into an area.
What are 5 - of correlations?
Correlations can be misinterpreted by the media and society when a link has been found between two variables.
Some may assume a conclusion can be made about the causes for the relationship (e.g. that one co-variable caused a change in the other co-variable) which can then be misused by the public to support or contradict an argument
Correlations cannot establish cause and effect.
For example, imagine we are studying the link between stress and illness and we have found a positive correlation between the two.
We don’t know ‘which comes first’ – is it stress causing illness or is it illness causing stress?
There may also be intervening ‘hidden’ variables here as well, e.g. being stressed leads to unhealthy behaviours such as poor diet and it is these unhealthy behaviours contribute to illness.
