Correlations

Question 1

What is a correlation?

Answer 1

Correlations look at the relationship between variables. Variables are not manipulated so they are called co-variables rather than IV and DV.

Question 2

How are correlations different to an experiment?

Answer 2

Correlations are the relationship whereas experiments are the difference using IV and DV.

Question 3

What is a positive correlation?

Answer 3

The points lie close to a straight line with a positive gradient. As one variable increases, the other variable increases.

Question 4

What is a negative correlation?

Answer 4

The points lie close to a straight line with a negative gradient. As one variable increases, the other decreases.

Question 5

What is no correlation?

Answer 5

There is no pattern. There is no connection between the two variables.

Question 6

What is the correlation coefficient?

Answer 6

A quantifiable figure, calculated from a statistical test that determines the strength and direction of a relationship on a scale of -1 to 1.

Question 7

What do the correlation coefficient results show?

Answer 7

+1 = very strong positive correlation
0.5 = positive relationship
0 = no correlation
- 0.5 = negative correlation
- 1 = very strong negative correlation

Question 8

Strengths of correlational research

Answer 8

• tells us how variables are related - good starting point in research
• cheap and easy
• allows predictions to be made
• quantification of relationships

Question 9

Weaknesses of correlational research

Answer 9

• no cause and effect / direction of relationship
• third variable problem leads to correlations being misinterpreted.