Correlations
Correlations are another research tool available to psychologists. Whereas experiments
show differences, look for cause and effect, and use an IV and DV, correlations show
relationships between unmanipulated co-variables, no IVs and DVs.
Some words are key in correlations, some are forbidden.
Acceptable Forbidden
- Correlation - Difference
- Relates/relationship - Affect/effect
- Co-variable - IV/DV
- Similarity - Results
- Trend - Cases
In correlations, the variables under analysis are called co-variables as they are measured and
compared to see how they co-vary in relation to each other.
Descriptive statistics for correlations:
The appropriate descriptive statistic used to display the results of a correlation study is a
scattergraph. Each cross on a scattergraph represents a different pair of values and the total
number of crosses indicates the size of the data set. On the basis of how the pairs of data
are distributed, it ought to be possible to draw broad conclusions about whether there is a
relationship between the co-variables, including its direction and strength.
There are three types/directions of correlation:
- Positive correlation. This means as one variable increases, the other also increases. It
looks like this:
- Negative correlation. This means as one variable increases, the other variable
decreases. It looks like this:
Correlations are another research tool available to psychologists. Whereas experiments
show differences, look for cause and effect, and use an IV and DV, correlations show
relationships between unmanipulated co-variables, no IVs and DVs.
Some words are key in correlations, some are forbidden.
Acceptable Forbidden
- Correlation - Difference
- Relates/relationship - Affect/effect
- Co-variable - IV/DV
- Similarity - Results
- Trend - Cases
In correlations, the variables under analysis are called co-variables as they are measured and
compared to see how they co-vary in relation to each other.
Descriptive statistics for correlations:
The appropriate descriptive statistic used to display the results of a correlation study is a
scattergraph. Each cross on a scattergraph represents a different pair of values and the total
number of crosses indicates the size of the data set. On the basis of how the pairs of data
are distributed, it ought to be possible to draw broad conclusions about whether there is a
relationship between the co-variables, including its direction and strength.
There are three types/directions of correlation:
- Positive correlation. This means as one variable increases, the other also increases. It
looks like this:
- Negative correlation. This means as one variable increases, the other variable
decreases. It looks like this:
