✓ Correlations (AO1 + AO3)

Question 1

What is a correlation?

Answer 1

correlations are used to measure how strong how the relationship is between 2 variables

correlational studies provide data that can be expressed as a correlation coefficient

Question 2

What is a correlation coefficient?

Answer 2

the correlation coefficient is a number that shows the strength & direction of the correlation

the stronger the correlation, the nearer it is to 1 or -1 (perfect correlation)

a correlation coefficient of 0 indicates no correlation at all

Question 3

What is a Scattergram?

Answer 3

used to show the relationship between variables

one variable is plotted on the x-axis, the other on the y-axis e.g. age & height

a point is plotted where the 2 scores interact

the scattergram gives an indication of both the direction (+ or -) & strength of the correlation

Question 4

What would a correlation that is strong positive/strong negative/weak negative/weak positive/none look like?

Answer 4

strong negative = \\
strong positive = ///
weak negative = \ \ \
weak positive = / / /
none = .⁖.

(lines are dots)

Question 5

Strengths of Correlations?

Answer 5

• ideal place to begin preliminary research (if there is a link between the 2 variables, future research could be conducted to establish cause & effect later)
• secondary data can often be used (e.g. gov reports) so easy to collect data & no need for informed consent/ethical issues

Question 6

Weaknesses of Correlations?

Answer 6

• they don’t establish cause & effect
• there could be other variables that influence the relationship (a 3rd variable not accounted for)