Correlation and Correlational Research - Simon Fraser University

Correlation and Correlational Research

Chapter 5

The Two Disciplines of Scientific Psychology

? Lee Cronbach

? APA Presidential Address

Fundamentals of Correlation

? correlations reveal the degree of statistical association between two variables

? used in both experimental and non-experimental research designs

? Correlational/Non-Experimental research

? establishes whether naturally occurring variables are statistically related

Correlational Research

? in correlational research, variables are measured rather than manipulated

? manipulation is the hallmark of experimentation which enables researchers to draw causal inferences

? distinction between measurement and manipulation drives the oft-cited mantra "correlation does not equal causation"

Direction of Relationship

Positive

? two variables tend to increase or decrease together

? higher scores on one variable on average are associated with higher scores on the other variable

? lower scores on one variable on average are associated with lower scores on the other variable

? e.g., relationship between job satisfaction and income

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download