Correlations

Question 1

What are two strengths of the correlational method?`

Answer 1

• Can be a starting point for further (experimental) research by discovering trends and patterns
• Allows research on topics that would otherwise by unethical to investigate.

Question 2

What are two weaknesses of the correlational method?

Answer 2

• As there is (almost) no control over extraneous variable, cause and effect relationships cannot be established.
• It can take lots of time and money to gather data about participants.

Question 3

What is a correlation co-efficient?

Answer 3

It is a number that represents the strength and direction of a relationship between two (co-) variables. It ranges from -1 to +1, with -1 being a perfect negative relationship an +1 being a perfect positive relationship.

Question 4

What is a positive correlation?

Answer 4

It is where, as the value of one co-variables increases, the value of the other co-variable also increases, but not necessarily at the same rate.

Question 5

What is a negative correlation?

Answer 5

It is where, as the value of one co-variable increases, the value of the other co-variable decreases, but not necessarily at the same rate.

Question 6

Write an alternative one-tailed correlational hypothesis.

Answer 6

There will be a significant positive correlation between (co-variable) X and (co-variable) Y.

Question 7

Write an alternative two-tailed correlational hypothesis.

Answer 7

There will be a significant correlation between (co-variable) X and (co-variable) Y.

Question 8

Write a null correlational hypothesis.

Answer 8

There will be no significant correlation between (co-variable) X and (co-variable) Y. Any relationship will be due to chance.