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Psychology vocabulary · Research Methods and Statistics

Correlation

Meaning in psychology, with examples

/ˌkɒrəˈleɪʃən/nounCore term

In psychology, correlation means: A statistical relationship in which two variables change together, in the same direction (positive) or in opposite directions (negative), without showing which causes which.

In Turkish: korelasyon, ilişki, bağıntı

How it is used

Usually reported with a coefficient such as Pearson's r, which runs from -1 to +1. Researchers find or report a correlation and describe it as weak, moderate or strong. The classic warning is 'correlation does not imply causation'.

Example sentences

  1. There was a moderate positive correlation between screen time and sleep problems.

  2. A correlation of r = .80 suggests a strong relationship, but it says nothing about cause.

Common collocations

  • positive correlation
  • negative correlation
  • correlation coefficient
  • strong correlation
  • confounding variableAn extra variable linked to both the supposed cause and the outcome, so that it may explain an apparent effect instead of the variable being studied.
  • experimentA study in which the researcher deliberately changes one factor and measures the effect on another, while keeping other conditions as constant as possible.
  • statistical significanceA sign that a result would be unlikely if there were really no effect, usually judged by whether the p-value falls below a set level such as .05.
  • effect sizeA number that shows how large a difference or relationship is, independent of sample size, such as Cohen's d or a correlation coefficient.

This word in other fields

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More terms: Research Methods and Statistics

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