Correlation

• Correlation

  1. Technique where a researcher investigates an association between two variables, called co-variables

  2. Relationship between two variables, known as co-variables, which are measured and compared

  3. A way of analysing data to examine a trend or pattern between co-variables
• Experiments

  • Looking for a difference
  • Control over variables
  • IV is manipulated
  • Can establish cause and effect
• Correlation

  • Looking for a relationship
  • No control over variables
  • No IV - instead of IV and DV there are co-variables
  • Cannot establish cause and effect
• + 0.5 = Positive correlation
• +1 = Strong positive correlation
• • 0.5 = Positive correlation
• • -1 = Strong negative correlation
• Types of correlation

  • Positive correlation = when the two variables increase or decrease together; they both move in the same direction
  • Negative correlation = when the two variables move in opposite directions as one increases the other decreases
  • Zero or No correlation = when there is no link or relationship between the two co-variables
• Good preliminary tool for researcher - correlation provides a precise and quantifiable measure of how two variables are related. This may suggest ideas for future research if variables are strongly related or show an interesting pattern
• Used to study behaviour when it would be unethical to do so using experiments
• Correlations do not show cause and effect because they do not involve manipulation of an IV or control of extraneous variables (as in an experiment). Correlations can only tell us how variables are related; they cannot tell us which variable is causing the other. There are always other factors or confounding variables that could be causing the relationship that have NOT been measured or controlled for