Correlations

Question 1

What is correlational analysis?

Answer 1

An investigation that measures the extent of the relationship between two co-variables.

Question 2

What do correlations measure?

Answer 2

The relationship between covariables

Question 3

what can correlations either be?

Answer 3

-positive correlation
-negative correlation
-zero correlation (show no correlation)

Question 4

What is a positive correlation?

Answer 4

The co variables increase or decreased together

Question 5

what is a negative correlation?

Answer 5

One covariable increases while the other decreases

Question 6

What is a zero correlation?

Answer 6

There is no relationship between the two covariables

Question 7

what are other patterns in the correlation?

Answer 7

The relationship between the variables plateauing

Question 8

What are the strengths of correlations?

Answer 8

-allow experimenters to investigate situations that could not be done experimentally
-they are used when it is practically or ethically, impossible to manipulate the IV, in this case variables are simply measured

Question 9

What is the strength of preliminary research?

Answer 9

Provide a means of conducting preliminary research as correlation studies can indicate trends which may lead to further research using experimental means to establish causal links. They are a useful and simple way of starting off a research project and can help to prevent time being wasted in carrying out unrealistic experiments.

Question 10

what are the limitations of correlations?

Answer 10

-Cannot establish cause and effect
-Third variable problem

Question 11

What is the limitation of not being able to establish cause-and-effect?

Answer 11

-correlations 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.
-Additionally, people often misinterpret correlations believing there to be a cause and effect relationship when one doesn’t exist.

Question 12

what is the limitation of the third variable problem?

Answer 12

There may be other unknown variables that can explain why the co-variables being studied are linked.

Question 13

What is a correlation coefficient?

Answer 13

is a number that tells us the strength and direction of the relationship between the two variables. This has to be calculated to determine the exact nature of the correlation.

Question 14

what is the coefficient?

Answer 14

A number between plus one and minus one and is usually represented by the letter r or rs

Question 15

What is the strength of correlation given by?

Answer 15

how close the correlation coefficient is to plus one or minus one (sign, indicates the type of correlation)

Question 16

why should the sign a number be treated separately?

Answer 16

-0.7 has the same strength as +0.7

Question 17

what are correlation coefficients between -0.1 and +0.1 usually judged to have?

Answer 17

0/no correlation

Question 18

What is the difference between correlation and experiments?

Answer 18

-Co-variables are simply measured, no delivered changes made whereas the experimenter/situation changes the independent variable, to see the effect on the dependent variable
-relationships are measured- cause and effect cannot be established