Correlations (y12 + y13 content)

Question 1

What is a correlation?

Answer 1

A mathematical technique in which a researcher investigates an association between two co-variables.

Question 2

Which type of graph are correlations plotted on?

Answer 2

Scattergram.

Question 3

What are the two types of correlation?

Answer 3

Positive correlation
Negative correlation

Question 4

What is a positive correlation?

Answer 4

As one co-variable increases, so does the other.

Question 5

What is a negative correlation?

Answer 5

As one co-variable increases the other decreases.

Question 6

What does zero correlation mean?

Answer 6

When there is no relationship between the co-variables.

Question 7

Strengths of correlations?

Answer 7

Correlations provide a precise and quantifiable measure of how two variables are related which may suggest ideas for possible future research if variables are strongly related or demonstrate an interesting pattern.
They are relatively quick and economical to carry out. There is no need for a controlled environment and no manipulation of variables is required.

Question 8

Limitations of correlations.

Answer 8

Correlational studies can only tell us how variables are related but not why. Correlations cannot demonstrate cause and effect between variables and therefore we do not know which co-variable is causing the other to change. It is also possible that there is an intervening variable (known as the third variable problem).

Question 9

What is a correlation co-efficent?

Answer 9

A number between -1 and +1 that represents the direction and strength of a relationship between co-variables.

Question 10

What does a correlation co-efficent mean?

Answer 10

The closer the coefficent is to +1 or -1,the stronger or the weaker the relationship between the co-variables is.