Correlations definitions

Question 1

Co-variable

Answer 1

The two measured variables in a correlational analysis. The variables must be continuous.

Question 2

Continuous variable

Answer 2

a variable that can take on any value within a certain range. Liking football (on a scale of 1-10) is continuous whereas the football team a person supports isn’t. The latter could be arranged in any order

Question 3

Correlation

Answer 3

determining the extent of an association between two variables; co-variables may not be linked at all (zero correlation), they may both increase together (positive correlation), or as one co-variable increases the other decreases (negative correlation)

Question 4

correlation coefficient

Answer 4

A number between -1 and +1 that tells us how closely the co-variables in a correlational analysis are associated

Question 5

Cuvilinear correlation

Answer 5

A non-linear relationship between co-variables

Question 6

Intervening variable

Answer 6

A variable that comes between two other variables, which is used to explain the association between those two variables. For example, if a positive correlation is found between ice cream sales and violence this may be explained by an intervening variable - heat- which violence causes the ice cream sales and an increase in violence

Question 7

Linear correlation

Answer 7

A systematic relationship between co-variables that is defined by a straight line

Question 8

Scattergram

Answer 8

A graphical representation of the association (ie. the correlation) between two sets of scores

Question 9

significance

Answer 9

A statistical term indicating that the research findings are sufficiently strong for us to accept the research hyphothesis under test