Correlations

Question 1

What do correlations look for?

Answer 1

Correlations look for a relationship between two variables

Question 2

What do correlations NOT suggest?

Answer 2

Correlations do not suggest that one variable causes variation in another variable, simply that one thing varies in accordance with another

Question 3

What are co-variables?

Answer 3

Co-variables are those characteristics which will be measured in a correlation

Question 4

What do correlation co-effectients tell us about the strength of the relationship between two variables? What co-efficients suggest a perfect positive correlation, a perfect negative correlation, and no correlation?

Answer 4

Correlation co-efficients tell us about the strength of the relationship between two variables. A co-efficient of +1 is a perfect positive correlation, a -1 a perfect negative correlation, and 0 no correlation

Question 5

What would points plotted on a positive correlation scatter graph show?

Answer 5

That as one variable increases, the value of the other variable will also increase

Question 6

What would points plotted on a negative correlation scatter graph show?

Answer 6

That as one variable increases, the other decreases

Question 7

What would points plotted on a scatter graph of no correlation show?

Answer 7

That there is no relationship between the variables

Question 8

What is the difference between a weak positive/negative correlation and a strong positive/negative correlation?

Answer 8

A weak positive/negative correlation will demonstrate that one variable will increase/decrease as the other increases, but to a less significant extent, while a strong positive/negative correlation will show this relationship significantly (points plotted on a scatter graph will be closer together or further apart depending on whether a correlation is strong or weak)