What does correlation tell you




















In general, if Y tends to increase along with X, there's a positive relationship. If Y decreases as X increases, that's a negative relationship. Correlation is defined numerically by a correlation coefficient. This is a value that takes a range from -1 to 1. A coefficient of -1 is perfect negative linear correlation: a straight line trending downward. A correlation of 0 is no linear correlation at all. Here's a few examples of data sets that a correlation coefficient can accurately assess.

This graph shows a positive correlation of 0. As you can see from the scatterplot, it's a fairly strong linear relationship. As the values of X tend to increase, Y tends to increase as well. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. A correlation is a statistical measurement of the relationship between two variables. A zero correlation indicates that there is no relationship between the variables.

A correlation of —1 indicates a perfect negative correlation, meaning that as one variable goes up, the other goes down. Correlations play an important role in psychology research. Correlational studies are quite common in psychology, particularly because some things are impossible to recreate or research in a lab setting.

Instead of performing an experiment , researchers may collect data from participants to look at relationships that may exist between different variables. From the data and analysis they collect, researchers can then make inferences and predictions about the nature of the relationships between different variables. Correlation strength is measured from The correlation coefficient, often expressed as r , indicates a measure of the direction and strength of a relationship between two variables.

A correlation of Scattergrams also called scatter charts, scatter plots, or scatter diagrams are used to plot variables on a chart see example above to observe the associations or relationships between them. The horizontal axis represents one variable, and the vertical axis represents the other. Each point on the plot is a different measurement.

From those measurements, a trend line can be calculated. The correlation coefficient is the slope of that line. When the correlation is weak r is close to zero , the line is hard to distinguish. When the correlation is strong r is close to 1 , the line will be more apparent. A zero correlation suggests that the correlation statistic did not indicate a relationship between the two variables. Correlation is a statistical technique that can show whether and how strongly pairs of variables are related.

For example, height and weight are related; taller people tend to be heavier than shorter people. The relationship isn't perfect. People of the same height vary in weight, and you can easily think of two people you know where the shorter one is heavier than the taller one.

Nonetheless, the average weight of people 5'5'' is less than the average weight of people 5'6'', and their average weight is less than that of people 5'7'', etc. Correlation can tell you just how much of the variation in peoples' weights is related to their heights.

Although this correlation is fairly obvious your data may contain unsuspected correlations. You may also suspect there are correlations, but don't know which are the strongest. An intelligent correlation analysis can lead to a greater understanding of your data. There are several different correlation techniques. The Survey System's optional Statistics Module includes the most common type, called the Pearson or product-moment correlation. The module also includes a variation on this type called partial correlation.

The latter is useful when you want to look at the relationship between two variables while removing the effect of one or two other variables. A graphing calculator is required to calculate the correlation coefficient.

The following instructions are provided by Statology. Step 1: Turn on Diagnostics. You will only need to do this step once on your calculator. After that, you can always start at step 2 below. This is important to repeat: You never have to do this again unless you reset your calculator. Step 2: Enter Data. Step 3: Calculate! Finally, select 4:LinReg and press enter. Now you can simply read off the correlation coefficient right from the screen its r.

This is also the same place on the calculator where you will find the linear regression equation and the coefficient of determination. The linear correlation coefficient can be helpful in determining the relationship between an investment and the overall market or other securities. It is often used to predict stock market returns. This statistical measurement is useful in many ways, particularly in the finance industry. For example, it can be helpful in determining how well a mutual fund is behaving compared to its benchmark index, or it can be used to determine how a mutual fund behaves in relation to another fund or asset class.

By adding a low, or negatively correlated, mutual fund to an existing portfolio, diversification benefits are gained. Fundamental Analysis. Financial Analysis. Financial Ratios. Technical Analysis. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Investopedia. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data.

We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Your Money. Personal Finance. Your Practice. Popular Courses. Investing Fundamental Analysis. Table of Contents Expand. Understanding Correlation. Positive Correlation. Negative Correlation. Linear Correlation Coefficient.

The Bottom Line. Key Takeaways: Correlation coefficients are used to measure the strength of the linear relationship between two variables. A correlation coefficient greater than zero indicates a positive relationship while a value less than zero signifies a negative relationship.



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