research methods- correlations Flashcards
what is a correlation?
illustrates the strength and direction of an association between two co-variables
what is a scattergram?
one co-variable is own the x-axis, another is on the y-axis
what is a positive correlation?
co-variables increase together
what is a negative correlation?
zero correlation
what is zero correlation?
no relationship between variables
positive correlation graph
negative correlation graph
zero correlation
what’s the difference between correlations and experiments?
-in an experimenter the researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV
-correlation theres no manipulation of variables so cause and effect cannot be demonstrated
evaluation of correlations
+useful starting point for research
+relatively economical
-no cause and effect
-intervening variables
ao3 of correlations:
+useful starting point for research
+relatively economical
-no cause and effect
-intervening variables
ao3 of correlations: useful starting point for research
-by assessing the strength and direction of a relationship, correlations provide a measure of how two variables are related
-if variables are strongly related it may suggest hypotheses for future research
ao3 of correlations: relatively economical
-unlike a lab study, no need for a controlled environment and can use secondary data (e.g. government statistics)
-so correlations are less time- consuming than experiments
ao3 of correlations: no cause and effect
-correlations are often presented as casual, e.g. by the media, when they only show how two variables are related
-leads to false conclusions about causes of behaviour
ao3 of correlations: intervening variables
-another untested variable may explain relationship between co-variables
-may also lead to false conclusions
