Correlations

Question 1

What is correlation?

Answer 1

Plotted in a scatter gram to tell us the strength and direction of a relationship between two or more co-variables

Question 2

What are the three types of correlation?

Answer 2

Positive, negative or zero

Question 3

What is positive correlation?

Answer 3

Two variables rise and fall together

Question 4

What is negative correlation?

Answer 4

One variable rises and the other one falls

Question 5

What is zero correlation?

Answer 5

There is no relationship between the variables

Question 6

What are co variables?

Answer 6

They occur naturally and are measured for the purpose of research

Question 7

What are experimental variables?

Answer 7

The IV is created/manipulated by the researcher and the DV is measured

Question 8

How are correlations represented?

Answer 8

By correlation coefficients

Question 9

What does correlation investigate?

Answer 9

The relationship between two variables

Question 10

What do experiments investigate?

Answer 10

The difference and if the IV has caused a change in the DV

Question 11

What is a very strong correlation?

Answer 11

+/- 0.8 to 1

Question 12

What is strong correlation?

Answer 12

+/- 0.6 to 0.8

Question 13

What is moderate correlation?

Answer 13

+/- 0.4 to 0.6

Question 14

What is weak correlation?

Answer 14

+/- 0.2 to 0.4

Question 15

What is negligible/no correlation?

Answer 15

+/- 0.2 to 0

Question 16

What is a directional correlation hypothesis

Answer 16

States whether the correlation is positive or negative e.g, there is a ____________ correlation between (co-variable 1) and (co-variable 2)

Question 17

What is a non-directional correlation hypothesis?

Answer 17

Simply states if there is a correlation, e.g, there is a correlation between (co-variable 1) and (co-variable 2)

Question 18

What are strengths of correlation?

Answer 18

Useful preliminary tool for research, quick and economical to carry out, less time consuming than experiments and more ethical than experiments as data already exists

Question 19

What are limitations of correlations?

Answer 19

Cannot demonstrate cause and effect, third variable problem and correlation may miss curvilinear relationships

Question 20

Why can’t correlations not measure curvilinear relationships?

Answer 20

They only measure linear relationships so if correlation coefficient is 0, curvilinear or no relationship could be present

Question 21

What is the issues with intervening variables?

Answer 21

No IV is manipulated so cannot draw causal conclusions

Question 22

What is an example of an intervening variable?

Answer 22

Caffeine and anxiety. If a person has a high stress job, this can lead to anxiety and lead to caffeine due to tiredness so caffeine ≠ anxiety

Question 23

How are correlations more ethical than experiments?

Answer 23

An IV is not manipulated as this could be unethical